by Dr. Ashwini Behere MPT, Physiotherapist
The famous Sachin Tendulkar with his tennis elbow problem, all the sports stars donning those coloured tapes while playing tennis and football and the recent comment of Shahrukh Khan about how he prefers Physiotherapy to knee surgery all go a mile to tell where Physiotherapy has reached. It is a science of diagnosing and treating injuries or diseases by using mostly physical means. Physiotherapy has evolved over a period of time and is now a well-established profession both in India and abroad.
The world celebrated physiotherapy day on 8th September every year. Physiotherapy has been practised in India for the last 64 years. There was a time when the awareness about this profession was extremely low. Our very own Belagavi city which had just 1-2 private clinics initially has now got a well-established institute of physiotherapy.
Today, it is no longer just a referral practice and people do directly consult a therapist. A physiotherapist can treat an array of conditions of which the most commonly experienced are low back strain, disc prolapse, frozen shoulder, spondylitis, ligament injuries, post fracture rehabilitation, ankle sprains, paralysis, Parkinson’s disease, post hip and knee replacement surgeries, arthritis, various respiratory conditions, post cardiac surgery rehabilitation, women’s health etc.
With the bad road conditions, and increase in number of vehicles in our city the problems of back and neck pain are on a rise. These musculoskeletal problems can be minimized with physiotherapy management. Belgaum is an industrial hub. The occupational hazards encountered, which can be quite debilitating, can be tackled and suitable work place modifications can be suggested by the therapists. Our city is also known for various sports especially football. Since this is a high contact sport the chances of injury are more, especially ankle and knee ligament injuries. A proper guidance to these budding players will help them make a career and minimize injuries. In the field of fitness too, our city is catching up. Running, cycling and swimming clubs are being formed. A physiotherapist can pre- evaluate their posture and movement to optimize their performance and prevent injuries.
This is an ever-growing field and the diversified scope of it has to be made known to the common man and the medical fraternity too! New and innovative techniques are been added to this field every day. Although the awareness is better than before there is still a long way to go. So do not assume that a physiotherapist will not be able to treat a certain condition. Do not hesitate to consult!