Orthopedic physical therapy

I am an employee of a Clinical hospital where the job of a physical therapist is organized each month on different department. That gives us an opportunity to work with people who suffer from all kinds of illness and disabilities. Generally, that kind of work schedule helps us to be informed of many treatment possibilities, but bigger improvement would be specialization in only one branch of rehabilitation. What is your opinion on this subject? This article will contain brief information about orthopedic physical therapy treatment.

What is orthopedic medicine? Orthopedic is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of injuries and diseases of your body's musculoskeletal system.

For which illness, injuries or disabilities we could say that they are orthopedic? Orthopedic is dealing with the pathology of bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves. Most common orthopedic conditions are: arthritis, back pain, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, scoliosis and etc.

What are the most common procedures and treatment options in orthopedic branch of medicine? This is a list of the most common treatment modalities in this branch of medicine: evaluation, procedures like electro stimulation, ultrasound, postoperative and specific exercises, patient's education (walking with assistant devices, learning exercise home program and healthy lifestyle).

Group of congenital orthopedic conditions like pes equinovarus, torticollis, genu valgum and etc., is treating mostly with passive and active exercises program. Until the normal range of motion is achieved.

Another group of disabilities (like arthritis of the knees, hips, back pain and etc.) could be treated with: warm or cold packs for preparing muscles for exercises, electrotherapy for decreasing pain and exercises for stretching and strengthening different kinds of muscle.

Physical therapy treatment of sprains and strains mostly includes R.I.C.E. in the first day or two after injury. After that we proceed with evaluation and program based on this evaluation.

Most common treatment in orthopedic is treatment of the postoperative conditions. Treatment after the surgery includes two types of exercises. Post-operative type of exercises for decreasing pulmonary and circulatory complications. Specific exercises for operated limb. Although we use all possibilities to reduce the pain on minimum sometimes it is impossible to reduce the pain. Joint stiffness may occur after a surgical process. This is a time when patient and his therapist must work together with important goal: to rich full range of motion of joint.

Conclusion. Finally, I have to mention that I really hate term 'most common' treatment, because every man and women is unique, so is their illness too. Even if you search the whole world, you won't find two patients with the same kind of arthritis, back pain or scoliosis. Uniqueness of patient condition and therapy is yet more emphasized since in the PT treatment big role have the motivation, duration of rehabilitation and psychological characteristic of the patients.

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