Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation

WHAT IS THE PHYSICAL THERAPY and REHABILITATION?

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation is a specialty that covers the diagnosis and treatment of physical and functional disorders in the musculoskeletal, nervous or cardiovascular systems.
Physical therapy refers to the use of physical agents and techniques in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. 
Physical therapy methods are the application of physical agents from outside the body. The applied physical therapy agents do not cause any lesions or wounds in our body. 
The aim of physical therapy is to reduce or eliminate pain, to regain the patient’s activities of daily living, to make the functions of the organs healthy, and to take his place in the society as an independent individual.

WHAT ARE THE FIELDS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY and REHABILITATION?

• Acute and chronic pain management
• Treatment and follow-up of rheumatic diseases
• Orthopedic rehabilitation and sports injuries
• Rehabilitation of neurological and neuromuscular diseases
• Pediatric rehabilitation
• Metabolic bone diseases (Osteoporosis etc.)
• Congenital or acquired joint and bone disorders
• Rehabilitation after burn
• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Geriatric rehabilitation

Physical therapy and rehabilitation applications may be useful and necessary if medical and surgical treatments are inadequate, ineffective, unnecessary, if the disease is likely to become chronic and progress, if it adversely affects daily life or if disability has developed.

WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL THERAPY and REHABILITATION PRACTICES?

An appropriate physical therapy program is planned according to the condition of the disease. Physical therapy should be done under the supervision of a specialist physician. This treatment program may include the administration of drugs and physical therapy agents and one or more of the therapeutic exercises.

Physiotherapy program to be applied

• Cold practice
• Superficial heat (infrared, hot pack, paraffin, vortex bath)
• Deep heat (ultrasound, short wave diathermy, radar)
• Electrotherapy (tens, electrostimulation, vacuum-interference, diadynamic, galvanic-faradic current)
• Hydrotherapy (contrast bath, spa treatment, underwater massage, electrogalvanic bath, whirlpool bath),
• Mechanotherapy (mobilization and manipulation, traction, pneumatic compression, splint, brace, corset, bandage, walking stick etc. supports),
• Such as therapeutic exercises
• It may include one or more of the physical therapy methods.
• How Long Does Physical Therapy Take?
• Physical therapy is done in sessions. A total of 10-12 sessions of 1-1.5 hours are applied. Rehabilitation is a longer process, treatment can take years.

ARE THE PHYSICAL THERAPY APPLICATIONS PAINFUL?
The patient does not feel pain during physical therapy applications. However, if the patient has joint limitation, for example, he cannot lift his shoulder, then there may be mild pain as the physiotherapist will perform stretching exercises.

WHAT ARE THE SITUATIONS WHERE IT IS OBJECTIONABLE?
It is inconvenient to apply on active periods of inflammatory rheumatic diseases (the periods when the joints are swollen, hot and painful), vascular occlusions, varicose veins, open wounds and inflamed areas.

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE RISKS and SIDE EFFECTS OF THE PYSICAL THERAPY PRACTICES?
It is a treatment approach with very few side effects and risks. However, although rare, undesirable effects such as skin redness and sensitivity may occur.
Significant risks, which are much rarer, are skin burns, heart rhythm disorders, hypersensitivity on the skin, blood pressure changes, muscle-tendon damage-rupture during the opening of joint restrictions, and electric shock. Risks are rarely seen in the presence of appropriate technique, adequate medical equipment and experienced medical personnel.
In order to minimize the incidence of these conditions, you should give detailed information to your doctor about your medical condition before the application. You should inform your doctor about known drug allergies and diseases.