The aim of physiotherapy is to help restore movement and normal body function in cases of illness, injury and disability.
As well as treating a specific problem, your physiotherapist may also suggest ways you can improve your general wellbeing – for example, by taking regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight for your height and build.
Physiotherapists take a holistic approach, looking at the body as a whole rather than focusing on the individual factors of an injury or illness.
For example, back pain can be caused by a number of different things, including:
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A physiotherapist will look at your individual situation. As well as treating the problem, they may also suggest things you can do on a daily basis to help relieve pain and discomfort.
For example, if you have lower back pain, maintaining good posture and doing core stability exercises to strengthen stomach and lower back muscles may help.
Physiotherapy approaches
Physiotherapists use a wide range of treatment techniques and approaches. Some of these are described below.
Movement and exercise
Physiotherapists use therapeutic exercises designed to strengthen the affected body area. They need to be repeated regularly, usually daily, for a set number of weeks.
As well as specific exercises, gentle activities such as walking or swimming may be recommended if you are recovering from an operation or sports injury that affects your mobility.
For someone with a mobility problem caused by a condition such as a stroke, a physiotherapist may suggest doing exercise that targets the affected area of the body.
For example, studies have shown that circuit class therapy is an effective method of rehabilitation after a stroke. Compared with other types of exercise, it can help improve a person's ability to walk further, longer and faster, as well as help with their balance.
There is also strong evidence to show physical activity can help manage and prevent more than 20 different health conditions. For example, physically active adults have been shown to have a significantly lower risk (up to 50%) of developing major health conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.