Dr. Mervat Sheta

Physical therapy is a form of medical treatment aimed at improving movement, reducing pain, increasing strength, and restoring the ability to perform daily activities more effectively. Physical therapy relies on non-surgical techniques and, in some cases, without the need for medication. These techniques include therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, electrical stimulation, cold and heat therapy, specialized methods such as ultrasound, and many other treatments.

Physical therapy is not only for those suffering from physical injuries but also plays a significant role in preventing health problems and improving overall quality of life. Physical therapy offers a wide range of benefits, including:

• Improving Strength and Flexibility: It helps strengthen muscles and restore tissue flexibility after injury or surgery.
• Pain Reduction: Through techniques such as electrical stimulation, heat or cold therapy, and massage, physical therapy effectively reduces pain.
• Restoring Mobility: After injuries or surgeries, physical therapy helps improve the ability to perform daily activities.
• Injury Prevention: By teaching patients proper movement techniques and strengthening muscles that support joints, physical therapy helps prevent future injuries.

Manual Techniques: These are techniques used by physical therapists with their hands to move joints and tissues. These techniques include soft tissue massage, joint manipulation, and muscle stretching.

• Therapeutic Massage: Helps alleviate muscle tension and improve blood circulation, which in turn enhances tissue healing.
• Manual Stretching: Aims to improve the flexibility of muscles and joints, increasing their range of motion.

Manual therapy is often used to relieve pain, restore mobility, and accelerate the healing process following injuries or surgeries.

Electrical stimulation is used in physical therapy to reduce pain, enhance healing, and strengthen muscles. The types include:

• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): This helps reduce pain by sending electrical signals through the skin to the nerves, preventing pain signals from reaching the brain.

• Deep Muscle Stimulation: Used in cases of muscle weakness, where the electrical device stimulates the muscles to strengthen them and increase muscle tissue volume.

• Heat therapy: It contributes to improving blood circulation in the affected area, promoting healing, and reducing muscle tension. It is used in chronic conditions such as lower back pain.

• Cold therapy: Used in acute injuries, such as sprains or muscle tears. It helps reduce swelling, inflammation, and joint irritation, contributing to faster healing.

• Post-surgery therapy: After joint replacement or spinal surgery, physical therapy is an important part of the recovery process to restore movement.

• Sports injury therapy: Treats ligament sprains, muscle tears, and tendonitis.

• Pediatric therapy: Helps children overcome growth-related issues such as delayed walking, muscle tension, or coordination problems.

• Geriatric therapy: Focuses on strengthening muscles, improving balance, and maintaining mobility to prevent falls.

Physical therapy plays a significant role in improving coordination and balance, especially for individuals who suffer from health issues that affect their ability to maintain balance. These conditions may include:

• Dizziness: Dizziness caused by disorders in the inner ear or nervous system can lead to difficulty maintaining balance. Physical therapy uses techniques such as balance exercises and rehabilitation maneuvers to improve stability and reduce dizziness, helping patients stand and walk more effectively.

• Stroke: After a stroke, patients may experience impaired coordination of movements. Physical therapy focuses on restoring motor coordination and flexibility through specialized techniques such as muscle strengthening and balance exercises. This helps in regaining motor functions and improving the ability to perform daily activities.

• Parkinson's Disease: This condition leads to a deterioration of motor control, resulting in difficulty walking and maintaining balance. Specialized exercises are designed to improve fine motor control and balance while reducing muscle stiffness that can make movement more challenging. Exercises aimed at enhancing muscle strength and movement coordination are vital in helping reduce the risk of falls.

Physical therapy is not limited to treating injuries or acute issues; it also helps alleviate the symptoms of chronic diseases and improve quality of life:

Arthritis: Patients with arthritis often suffer from pain and stiffness in the joints. Does physical therapy help relieve pain? Yes, physical therapy helps alleviate pain by using techniques such as specific exercises that increase joint flexibility and reduce swelling. Strengthening exercises also help reinforce the muscles surrounding the joints, which reduces the load on them, improving movement and minimizing discomfort.

Diabetes: Patients with diabetes may struggle with controlling blood sugar levels and poor circulation. Does physical therapy help improve these symptoms? Yes, through regular exercises, physical therapy can enhance circulation and increase the flexibility of muscles and joints. It also helps reduce symptoms of muscle stiffness and improves the patient's ability to manage diabetes.

Physical therapy is generally safe, but some patients may experience temporary side effects such as:

Pain: Some patients may experience mild pain after sessions due to muscle stimulation or increased activity. This pain typically resolves within hours to a couple of days.

Swelling: Mild swelling may occur in the treated area due to increased blood flow or heightened muscle activity. This is usually temporary.

Fatigue: Occasionally, patients may feel fatigued after physical therapy sessions, especially if the exercises are intense or if therapy is part of a long-term rehabilitation plan.

If these symptoms are persistent or severe, it is recommended that the patient consult with the physical therapist to adjust the sessions according to their needs and provide the necessary guidance.

After undergoing surgery, the body requires rehabilitation to restore strength and movement. Physical therapy plays a key role in this by helping patients regain joint flexibility and strengthen muscles that may have weakened due to prolonged inactivity after surgery. Physical therapy also helps alleviate pain using techniques such as manual therapy or electrical stimulation. For surgeries that affect joints, such as joint replacement, physical therapy enables the patient to restore joint movement, reduce swelling, and improve daily performance. It also enhances the patient's independence in carrying out daily activities.

Arthritis, whether rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, causes severe pain and stiffness in the joints. Physical therapy helps patients by strengthening the muscles around the affected joint, which reduces pressure on the joint and enhances its stability. Stretching exercises contribute to increasing joint flexibility and improving the range of motion. Physical therapists may also use techniques such as therapeutic massage to reduce pain and inflammation. Additionally, physical therapy focuses on teaching patients proper body postures to minimize stress on the joints during daily activities.

Physical therapy is an effective treatment for many neurological conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. It helps improve motor coordination and restores the patient's ability to move more freely. The treatment plan may include balance exercises, stretching, and strength-building exercises. For stroke patients, physical therapy focuses on retraining motor skills so that the patient can regain the ability to perform basic movements. Electrical stimulation techniques can also be used to stimulate damaged nerves and improve neurological function. Physical therapy significantly contributes to enhancing the quality of life for individuals with neurological diseases by increasing their independence in daily activities.