We often take the ‘little things’ in our life for granted. One such thing is the Joy of Movements. Do you know that close to 2.68 crore people in India are disabled in one form or the other? 61 lakh among them are suffering from disability in movement according to the 2011 Census of India.
As we can see in the above graph, according to the census of 2011 there is a huge increase in movement disability for a higher percentage of people, once they become a senior citizen. There are many reasons which might cause a disability in movement for a senior. A few of them are chronic conditions, diseases and even accidents like diabetes, stroke and falls respectively. Also, as seniors age they tend to lose muscle strengths and motion in the joints. Continue reading to find the best solution.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy has been found to be the most effective methods of curing pains and body aches and restoring movements in seniors without any side effects. Physiotherapy aims to pinpoint the root cause of the problems and the best practices to cure it. As seniors tend to age, they find it difficult to be as active and move about as they used to especially in the legs and knees. A visit to the physiotherapists helps to diagnose the factors of root cause and also implement a treatment plan.
What do Physiotherapists do?
Physiotherapists are the people who go about restoring people’s joy of movements. The goal of physiotherapy, also called as physical therapy is the treatment of movement disability and disorders through physical methods over surgery and medications. They use methods such as exercise, massage, and other treatments. It is a common misconception that physiotherapists work only with sports-related injuries, but that’s not always the case. They are highly skilled health professionals providing treatments to mobility and physical problems.
Types of treatment in physiotherapy
According to each individual’s needs the physiotherapist will pick the treatment tailored for the requirements. There are three major types of physiotherapy are,
Range of Motion (ROM) Exercises - These exercises promote movement, blood circulation and joint mobility. They are used at preliminary stages of recovery.
Electrotherapy techniques - This consists of electrical stimulation form of treatment. They are best used for seniors having paralysis or severely reduced mobility.
Soft tissue mobilization - This is also called a therapeutic massage and this helps relax muscles and swelling in the body. This is widely used for athletic injuries.
Physiotherapists and Seniors
Any physiotherapy session focuses both on prevention and rehabilitation. Physiotherapists have a higher demand from the senior cohort than any other generation. This is due to the various problems in movements faced by the elderly as they age. Given below are few problems treated by physiotherapists
Knee and joint aches due to aging
Problems in muscles and skeleton
Lung issues like asthma
Heart problem disability issues
Loss of mobility due to parkinson’s disease and any trauma
Constant fatigue, swellings and palliative care
Due to the ongoing pandemic situation, lockdown restrictions and higher risks faced by them, many elderly and senior citizens have turned to online consult and book physiotherapy treatment at home. Senior citizens who have mobility issues can now get treated right from the comfort of their homes through physiotherapist’s home visit services. With the healthcare professional coming to their home, the need to travel disappears. Some other benefits of physiotherapy for seniors at home include,
Personalized care and treatment
Cost effective and efficient
Quicker recovery process
Comfort being in home
Family members constant support
Key takeaways
Movements play an invisible yet important role in our daily life. When this crucial ability is degrading or lost, physiotherapists are the healthcare professionals to seek. As a person ages, the body does not function as it used to and hence visiting a physiotherapist helps you have a more healthy lifestyle. Physiotherapists home visit to treat patients is gaining momentum these days and are the most beneficial to senior citizens.
Author: Team 60plus India
Keywords used : Physiotherapist, Senior Citizens, Physiotherapist for seniors, Benefits of Physiotherapy, Physiotherapy treatment at home
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