Treatment with physical methods or agents.
Physiotherapy is used to prevent or reduce joint stiffness; restore muscle strength; reduce pain; inflammation, and muscle spasm; and retrain joints and muscles after stroke or nerve injury.
Methods include heat treatment, exercises, massage, ice-packs, hydrotherapy, and TENS.
Physiotherapy is also used to maintain breathing in people with impaired lung function, and to prevent and treat pulmonary complications after surgery.
Techniques include breathing exercises, postural drainage, and administration of oxygen, drugs, or moisture through a nebulizer.
An important treatment involving the use of physical measures, such as exercise, heat, manipulation and remedial exercises in the treatment of disease. An alternative name is PHYSICAL MEDICINE. It is an essential part of the rehabilitation of convalescent or disabled patients. Those who practise physiotherapy – physiotherapists – have a recognised training and, on successful completion of this, are placed on the profession’s o?cial register (see APPENDIX 8: PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS.)
n. the branch of treatment that employs physical methods to promote healing, including the use of light, infrared and ultraviolet rays, heat, electric current, ultrasound, massage, manipulation, hydrotherapy, and remedial exercise.
1 Treatment of pain, disease or injury by physical means. 2 The profession concerned with promotion of health; prevention of physical disabilities; evaluation and rehabilitation of persons disabled by pain, disease or injury; and with treatment by physical therapeutic measures, as opposed to medical, surgical or radiologic measures.... physical therapy / physiotherapy
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