People visit physiotherapists to address illnesses, conditions, injuries, and other issues after a doctor’s recommendation. Others take themselves after some form of physical discomfort or pain. Whatever the case, most times, we think of physiotherapy as muscle-skeletal therapy.
We tend to think that physiotherapists mainly work the back, legs, arms, and other sports-related injuries, but that’s not always the case. Physiotherapy has evolved in the form of various sub-specialties, which help PTs solve a variety of problems more appropriately and effectively.
Here are several types of physiotherapy sub-specialties and what each one entails:
Top 5 Types of Physiotherapy Sub-specialties
- Orthopedic/ Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
It’s the most obvious one. It deals with rehabilitation and treatment of conditions that affect the human musculoskeletal system. It involves the tendons, bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles. The main goal of this specialty is to reduce discomfort, improve mobilization, and correct skeletal injury.
- Neurological Physiotherapy
Neurological physiotherapy aims to restore mobility and cure functional problems originating from the nerve and neuromuscular systems. Such problems are brought on by conditions like stroke, aneurysm, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and trauma to the brain and spinal cord. They affect the spinal cord, brain, and peripheral nerves leading to these symptoms:
- Extreme muscle weakness
- Loss of coordination and balance
- Tremors
- Loss of function
- Diminished sensation
When you make an appointment with a neurological therapist, they will employ a variety of methods to treat your symptoms, including pain relief, stress reduction, mobility restoration, and prevention of further neurological disorders.
- Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy
This branch seeks to help people with cardiopulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiac arrest. Such PTs work in cardiovascular rehabilitation facilities.
They instruct patients on specific exercise regimens and resistance training methods that might enhance their general quality of life. Some disorders that can be treated here include asthma and excessive chest discharge.
- Geriatric physiotherapy
This subspecialty addresses several age-related illnesses, including osteoporosis (fragile and brittle bones) and arthritis (joint pain). Age-related changes can include problems with coordination, balance, reaction times, and muscle mass.
Geriatric physiotherapists assist the elderly in limiting certain movements that can exacerbate pain. They also help their patience use gait aides to improve their posture and mobility and reduce discomfort or pain. Furthermore, they engage in specialized routines to handle overlapping health conditions in the aged.
- Pediatric Physiotherapy
This one focuses on infants, children, and teenagers. It helps them rehabilitate after acute injuries or illnesses. It also helps kids that are born with birth defects.
These include birth deformities, delayed physical development, and some genetic conditions including cerebral palsy (a condition that reduces overall movement and coordination). To strengthen the injured areas and improve the accuracy and range of motion of those areas, physiotherapists perform a variety of therapeutic exercises on young ones.
Need Any of These Specialties? We Can Help
Like all medical operations, it is essential to have a licensed expert perform your physiotherapy. To guarantee faster results, we have top-notch physiotherapists and top-notch equipment. We also provide mobile physiotherapy. Call us to schedule your specialized care!
