Sunday, 6 July 2014

How Patients Can Restore Their Strength, Balance And Mobility With Therapeutic Exercise

By Rosella Campbell


Physical therapy is a way to rehabilitate patients who have developed impairments in their mobility. It is used to restore a normal range of movement for patients recovering from certain medical conditions, illness or injury. The goal of this kind of therapy is to aid patients recovery by helping them develop flexibility, balance and coordination, and muscular strength. Therapeutic exercise is a mature form of therapy and those living in Boston, MA will find there are a good number of therapists in their locality.

Physical therapists help patients with a variety of impairments and work in a number of health-related environments. They can be found in hospitals, fitness centers, schools, care homes, hospices, and other establishments where rehabilitation care is undertaken. Many choose to specialize in particular areas such as sports injury, senior care, child care and orthopedics.

When designing a care program, a therapist will begin by examining their patient's medical history and making an assessment of their current capabilities. He or she may also draw upon information provided by lab studies and scans where needed. A care plan will then be designed that is tailored to the specific needs of the patient. As much as possible, the goal is always to restore the patient's physical capacity to normal.

Each exercise in the plan will be designed to isolate a particular body part, joint or muscle group. The therapist will instruct the patient on how to perform each exercise in order to get the most benefit from it. This is a process that may involve a certain amount of trial and error. The therapist will monitor the patient and assess how he or she responds to the prescribed exercises. Each exercise may be modified for intensity or duration, or substituted entirely depending on how the patient responds.

The essence of any program of exercise will be to improve flexibility, strength, coordination and balance or several of these attributes. Strength exercises are of particular importance for patients who have experienced muscle loss. Gains in strength are also important for restoring a patient's confidence, which often suffers when physical capacity is lost.

Injury and certain medical conditions can lead to impairments in balance and coordination. The elderly in particular are prone to these issues, which can make them vulnerable to falling. Balance and coordination exercises are ways to build up physical poise and thus avoid accidents and further injury. They are designed primarily to improve lower-body muscularity and also develop the body's balance and spatial perception capabilities.

Flexibility exercises can help patients restore the suppleness of their joints and their range of motion. They are also an important safeguard against potential future injuries. Most of these exercises involve stretching, and many are very easy to perform without equipment. In addition, many stretching exercises are emotionally satisfying to perform and engender a sense of well-being.

This is a critical component of exercise and bodily movement in the broadest sense. Those who have suffered with injury or disease often suffer a dent to their confidence and sense of personal efficacy. By beginning to move again and use their bodies constructively, many experience a boost in their mood and self-confidence. This psychological and emotional improvement can help tremendously in aiding patients make a speedy and full recovery.




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