Physical Therapy for Seniors

The most common problem and complaint by People with age are regarding the physical pain and this can be in any form including chronic pain and joint pain. Physical therapy is the only panacea that helps relieve pain and restore the physical function of a person without any side effect and restores physical functions such as flexibility, strength, balance,and coordination.

Early therapy combines the approaches of stretching, massage, walking, hydrotherapy, electrical stimulation among all others.

The main goal of physical therapy especially for seniors is to make their daily task and other activities easier and make them independent. One such organization is especially made for seniors and you can easily login into the website through MyAARPMedicare Login.

The circumstances, where physical therapy is mandatory are:

• Stroke
• Vertigo
• Stroke
• Vertigo
• Incontinence
• Diabetes
• Osteoarthritis
• Cerebral Palsy
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Recovering from injuries such as a broken hip.
• Overall pain of body such as the knee, back, shoulder, wrist, etc.
• And other similar conditions

What is the Role of Physical Therapy?

Physical Therapist (PTs) is suitable for all types of age groups from newborn to the seniors who are undergoing health-related medical problems.

PTs develop a plan using a variety of treatment techniques to increase the movement of a person, reduce pain and restore function.

The first goal is to reduce the pain and swelling if any. Then, a PT will implement various techniques to increase flexibility, strength, coordination,and balance. These techniques usually include exercises like stretching, weight lifting and walking. For more senior exercise ideas, see Active Senior Living

PT can also add a combination of other treatments, some that can help, and others who may not. This is often a test and error process.

Types of Physical Therapy

• Manual therapy
• Cold Therapy
• Heat therapy
• Hydro Therapy
• Electric Stimulation
• Ultrasound therapy

Manual therapy is done by the physician with the aim of resting the patient, reducing pain, and providing more flexibility.

Massage the soft tissues of the muscles and body to relieve the patient, improve circulation and relieve pain.

Mobilization uses slow movements to fold, pull and pull joints and bones. This can help tight joint tissues to loosen and increase flexibility.

The combination uses painstaking movements to relieve pain and re-align joints and bones.

Cold Therapy is used to relieve pain, swelling,and inflammation with conditions like arthritis. Treatments include ice packs (15 to 20 minute’s sessions), ice massages, and comfort, ice, compression,and height (RICE).

Heat therapy relaxes the muscles and improves circulation, which is useful for loosening joints with osteoarthritis or other conditions where you are stable. Heat is also used to loosen the muscles before exercising.

HydroTherapyrequires water to treat disease and maintain health, increased blood circulation, healing soft tissue and hence gives relax to the entire body.

Electric Stimulationprocess uses the electricity which creates a desired effect in the body. Electric current can scramble pain signals that recover the painful feelings. This electricalstimulation is used to contract the muscles for stroke victims and people with arthritis problems.

Electric stimulation is simply a general term that means the use of electrical stimulation and it is used in conjunction with cold laser therapyand provides better healing.

Physical therapists educate patients in their session and patients are taught about performing daily tasks, how can they protect their body from injury and can perform an exercise at home.

Ultrasound therapy includes using high-pitched sound waves that reduce spam and relax the muscles before and after exercise.

Treatment of Specific conditions with Physical Therapy

Physical therapists are being searched by medical communities to help people with varieties of disease and medical conditions. Most of the people at the age of 65 and over have some arthritis in their spine and even their symptoms. Physical therapy has the capabilities of offsetting the future symptoms merely using the aquatic exercise, electric stimulation, hot packs and the combination of other techniques.

For Stroke Patients, PTs go via constraint-induced movement therapy in which you are forced to use your weaker limb or hand. Again the mental practice and motor imagery involve rehearsing movement without doing it in reality. And this way different part of your brain controls movement.

Parkinson’s disease patients have different exercises for the improvement of trunk flexibility which is done to eliminate robotic movements.

Incontinence patients are education for the proper use of correct muscles by finding them. Doing pelvic exercises helps for the strengthening of muscles for the better control of the bladder.

Alzheimer patients are even cured only by the physical therapist which improves the movement and delay onset serious memory problems. Another way called mirroring is used where the Physical therapist serves as a mirror and show patients about how to move.

Including the stuff mentioned you already,there are certain techniques called dancing and gardening is a better option that helps the patient in remembering acertain type of movements.

[Also Read: Why elderly should have pets]

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) which is related to the problems of breathing and simply addressed with exercise training and it is improved shortness of breath, training muscles and also increasing aerobic capacity.

As you have seen above that physical therapy has an unimaginable role to play in the health and disease and stand to be the best remedy for various disease. And hence this becomes a non-negligible part for senior citizens.

Author: Dr. Dipan Samanta

Visits: 371