4 Signs It’s Time to See a Physiotherapist
Whether you’re a professional athlete or you just work out leisurely to keep fit, you know that taking care of your body is key to maintaining your physical performance. From eating right and getting enough rest to stretching daily and staying hydrated, there are many things you can do to maintain peak physical health. But sometimes, even the most dedicated athletes find themselves in need of professional assistance. That’s where seeing a physiotherapist comes in – and here are four signs that it might be time for you to make an appointment.
What Is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is a form of treatment primarily focused on rehabilitation through therapeutic exercises, advice, manual therapy and electrical modalities. It helps with prevention of injuries or disabilities, as well as those living with a chronic medical condition to improve their physical well-being. A tailored treatment programme helps to improve one’s strength, flexibility, mobility, balance and coordination. For example, specialised sports physiotherapist, on the other hand, designs specific treatment plans to address sports injuries such as rotator cuff tears, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprains, achilles tendinitis and shin splints etc which allow an athlete to return safely to their sports activities.
1. Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is defined as persistent pain that lasts more than 3 months and is not going away. It can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, depression, poor sleep, reliance on drug or alcohol that affect your physical and mental health in the long run. If the pain remains the same or worse after trying some simple home remedies like rest, heat or cold packs, stretching exercises and over-the-counter medications, then it’s probably time to get professional help from a physiotherapist.
A physiotherapist’s role in treating chronic pain syndrome is to offer reassurances to their patients who fear that exercise will increase their pain. Though it might sound counter-intuitive, maintaining movement is the best thing people with chronic pain can do. Patients with a very significant fear of pain, tend to avoid any type of movement or exercise and oftentimes, they fail to understand pain is a protective mechanism. Movement helps the body heal and boosts the immune system, whereas avoiding healthy activities often leads to an increase of the problem and further loss of well-being. Physiotherapists can formulate an appropriate treatment plan, as well as teach a person the best postural management and self-care techniques to limit the recurrence of their chronic pain. If your chronic pain is debilitating and greatly reduces your quality of life, booking an appointment with us is the first step towards managing it and keeping the pain at bay.
2. Sports Injuries
If you’ve recently experienced a sports injury, this could be another sign that you should consult a physiotherapist. Physiotherapists can play a crucial role in helping to alleviate pain by reducing swelling and inflammation around the injured area as well as restore mobility through targeted exercises. When the acute phase of injury has passed, physiotherapists can work with athletes to develop sustainable strength and flexibility programs tailored for the specific sport to assist in a faster recovery as well as preventing future injuries.
Another benefit that patients with sports injury might gain after they suffered from an injury is they can equip themselves with knowledge regarding how to self manage if any injury happens again in the future, and to look for signs and symptoms if they need to seek for medical help immediately, for example a fracture. This is where patient education comes into place.
3. Performance Plateaus
If you are having difficulty making progress in your chosen sport or find yourself stuck at a certain level of performance for no apparent reason, a physiotherapist can certainly be of help. Physiotherapists are experts in the muscular and skeletal systems, as well as human body movement. Not only can physiotherapists help identify causes of chronic pain such as tightness, mobility issues, or more complex musculoskeletal dysfunctions, they can also provide relief through therapeutic exercises that address your problems.
A certified sport physiotherapist can design a structured training program at different stages of injury which helps to achieve an athlete’s maximum potential. They can also design sport-specific drills or agility training to help athletes increase their level of competency and performance in a particular sport.
4. Poor Posture
Poor posture can lead to imbalances in muscles, overtime it can result in aches and pains that get worse in the long run. Not only can physiotherapists help with posture adjustments, but they can also provide guidance on proper body alignment that may require stretching and strengthening exercises targeted on your overworked muscles. If you notice that you have developed poor postural habits and you need help on correction and advice, consulting a physiotherapist is an effective way to know where your problems lie and to perform your daily activities more comfortably.
Choose Rapid Physiocare Today
Rapid Physiocare strives to deliver therapy of the highest quality with our profound knowledge of the human body and team of trained professionals that are dedicated to offering specialist care focusing on individualised therapies and swift recovery. Contact us by giving us a call or sending us an email to book an appointment at any of our clinics located across Singapore today.
