Physical Rehabilitation Assessment and Treatment

In physical rehabilitation assessment and treatment, the patient is studied and assessed continuously. A trained physiotherapist is responsible for studying a patient, diagnosing him and drawing out a treatment discharge plan. The therapist also tries to obtain an effective cure for the patient. This physical rehabilitation assessment and treatment is done by a team of trained health care professionals. This team includes doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and more. Physical rehabilitation cures wounds, fractures, brain damage, damage to the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, spinal cord, strokes, Alzheimer's disease and more. Physical rehabilitation mainly aims at reducing the patient's pain and suffering and try to eradicate their physical disability. This treatment is different from total knee replacement rehabilitation.

There are a number of techniques and treatments used in physical rehabilitation centers:

• Massage

  Massage is one of the best ways to increase blood circulation and stimulate muscle growth. It is effective in treating muscle pulls and musculoskeletal injuries. Deep tissue massage is also very relaxing and calms the body increasing the rate of the healing process.

• Hydrotherapy

  In hydrotherapy, the patient is asked to move his limbs around in a tank of water in specific ways prescribed by the physiotherapist. This movement of the limbs in water is constricted by the flow of water. Thus, more force is required to move them. The buoyancy of the water applies perfect pressure on the limbs enabling the patient to maneuver them easily outside the water. Also, it increases muscle strengthening and flexibility.

• Heat and Ice

  The application of heat packs and ice packs can contribute a great deal in treatment during rehabilitation. Application of heat packs onto the affected body part increases circulation in that area. It is soothing and eases the pain. On the other hand, application of cold packs contracts muscles temporarily and their contraction and elongation helps mobility.

• Intervention

  In interventions, the patient is asked to maneuver his affected body part and his good body part or unaffected body part is immobilized. He is compelled to accomplish simple every day activities. This increases the healing process in the case of strokes. Interventions cannot be used on injuries or all kinds of physical problems and disabilities.

• Neuro Muscular Electric Stimulation

  In this kind of treatment, the patient is attached to a few wires and his nerve impulses are interrupted by electrical signals sent through a machine attached to the wires.

Physical rehabilitation assessment and treatment is aimed at making the patient feel better by easing the pain and suffering he is going through. It employs some of the techniques mentioned above and a lot many more to treat patients. Physical rehabilitation leaves no side effects and is an effective cure to the physical problems faced by the patient. But it is not a guaranteed cure to anything. It is just a process of trying to reduce the damage already caused and a process through which one learns how to live with the damage caused to him. Through assessment and diagnosis, many physical rehabilitation centers today formulate individual treatment plans. Thus, this medical field is seeing progress by leaps and bounds.