Forms Of Physical Therapy Cambridge MA

By William Kelly


Physical therapy is a form of treatment that one may need when health problems make it hard for them to move around and do tasks that they should be doing. It helps to enhance movement and relieve pain in addition to ensuring there is restoration of physical function and fitness level. When considering physical therapy Cambridge MA residents should know the goal is to make daily activities easier.

It will help with recovery after one has undergone certain types of surgery. Physicians recommend physical therapy when one has long term injuries or such health problems as arthritis. The treatment is used on its own or with other forms of treatment. One of the first things is to undergo examination to be able to know what cause of the problem is.

There are various forms of physical therapy. One of the most common is exercising. Exercise is a controlled physical stress that is applied to the body to help with improvement of strength, motion range and flexibility. Exercises can be active or passive. With the passive exercises, you are required to only relax while the physical therapist applies stress. An example is the hamstring stress where a person lifts your leg so that hamstring muscles are elongated on the bag of the thighs.

Active exercises are performed under the power of the individual. Examples include walking on treadmills, straight leg raising and hip strengthening exercises. Home exercise programs are recommended. These are exercises that are supposed to be performed individually. They are very important when one wants to return to normal function. In general, exercising is one of the main techniques used by therapists.

On rare occasions, electric stimulation is used to reduce pain around tissues that are injured. This theory can be explained in two ways, the opiate theory and gate theory. Other forms of this stimulation are used to contract muscles. This is used to help injured muscles relearn ways of functioning properly. The treatment might take time before normal operations are resumed.

Traction is used in treating low back pain and neck pain to help in minimizing pain and enhancing mobility of the spine. To make use of lumbar traction, one is strapped into a mechanical machine. A vest is used in helping to support ribs. In theory, traction is used in separating joints and disk spaces at the lower back and neck. This decreases spinal nerve pressure.

There can also be the use of laser and light therapy. Light therapies involve use of light at specific wavelength to help in improving healing process of tissues that are injured. It is painless treatment that lasts a maximum of three minutes. The therapist holds the light emitting wand directly over the injured part of the body before pressing a button to activate the light.

There is the option of using massage. This will involve use of the hands to knead tissues that are injured with the aim of improving circulation. This leads to decrease of muscle tension.




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