Physiotherapy - Physical and Electromagnetic means of treatment.

The only way in which Physiotherapy can reach new heights in India is by gaining popularity. Consistent good results are building people's faith. Depending on authorities to change anything has wasted many careers, but not much has changed in the past few decades. Professionals from other medical sciences still seem to be catching up with the idea of "physical and electromagnetic means of treatment". Though mostly not necessary, many practitioners like to mention 7 days of IFT, UST, SWD in their prescription sheets instead of simply referring the case to Physiotherapist.Manual techniques and exercises are still not being taken seriously as treatment methodology .
Physiotherapy is a medicine free science, so few cases may need to undergo medicine and physio treatment at the same time.Patient needs to understand that in such instances, two different forms of treatment are coming together to work faster and it is not one single treatment.So decisions can be taken individually by each practitioner regarding their treatment or with a mutual discussion between both teams.
Physiotherapy follows a progress dependent Physical Rehabilitation;so fixing the number of days of treatment like fixed dosage of antibiotics generally does not apply well here.Physical Therapy needs improvisation at every step during treatment so it depends a lot on knowledge, experience and work style of your Physiotherapist. 
We appreciate the effort of those Physiotherapists who have consistently worked to improve the standards of this profession in India. Some others who have prioritized monetary benefits over the faithfulness towards profession,may learn their lessons with time.

Thank you! for being "ON TIME"

In Physio practice, we see various types of cases. Most of the cases are a learning experience in a way or the other. We like to treat everyone, whatever the person or the personality. Most of the people are interesting to interact with, some of them are enlightening. Patients are mostly humble, but few seem arrogant. We understand that every person has a different way of looking at problems so we try to give our best to all of them. People who make us unhappy are those who do not respect time. Coming late is a personality trait which comes so naturally to some. Those who reach late must understand that they are disturbing the next patients' schedule. Appointment delays dilute our energy levels with which we would like to treat patients. Thank You, for being ''On Time."

My Shoulder Hurts !

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You feel pain in your shoulder after a sudden stretch, during some activity. You decide to wait and watch if the pain subsides on its own. You try hot pack, ice pack, diclofenac application and  muscle relaxant tablets randomly to reduce pain. Pain remains mildly, but you feel better within 4-5 days. Slowly getting back to activity, you realise that pain increases while performing certain movements only. 

After another 15 days, on a holiday; you decide it is still bothering so let me see a doctor. Knowing that you are insurance covered, you find the best-known shoulder surgeon in the city (if it was possible, you may have tried the most known surgeon in the world) through Internet. The surgeon who is just about to enter the OT for some important surgery takes out some time to consult you. Knowing that the  problem is probably not meant to be handled by a surgical intervention he explains you the exact situation. 

Now that you have met him, instead of sending you empty handed, back to a local physician he prescribes you pain killers and/or recommends physical therapy. He mentions if condition persists he may need a scan or think of surgery. You were anyways always sure even if he had recommended an immediate surgery you would have anyways not taken his word as it is. Now, ask yourself if you want gardening to be done, do you call a farmer all the way from a farm or hire a gardener within your locality. 

If your plan A was to not do a surgery, why did you waste the time of someone who may have used it for some more crucial cases.Your family physician is capable enough to give you painkillers as and when required, he/she also knows best when to refer you to some super speciality consultation.

Continuing from where we left, you decide to take the medicine first because physiotherapy needs daily treatment and you are too busy with office work these days. Ten days of prescribed painkillers, you see pain comes back only once or twice a day. Improving but not convinced you (or on medical advice, looking at your chronic pain) decide to take an MRI. Reports show degenerative changes with some muscular problem which you are exactly not able to understand.

Now from family to friends to your medical advisers, everyone pushes you to do "SOME" PHYSIOTHERAPY. The first question you ask  your physio is how many days?

After all this when he wants you to start with exercise you feel it may aggravate the injury. Again ask yourself, under the effect of pain killers when you drove around and played with your child, don't you think you may have actually aggravated the injury unknowingly already.

Be sure well prescribed Exercise/ Electro-therapy will not do any harm, but yes it may have taken only a week to recover if you had taken up this in the initial stages.Now you need 45-50 days to recover. 

Please calculate the total time, cost and, of course, you can't calculate all the unnecessary suffering that too for such a minor injury. During the course, almost everyone you met actually gave you the best advice as per his field of specialisation. The question is, did you always enter the right place or just trying to gain a little too much, made a monster out of a simple injury.

Let us keep it simple, sometimes no one else but our own half knowledge leads us to situations where we never wanted to be. 

Does Physiotherapy really help ? YES IT DOES...

Physiotherapy is being widely used as a 10-day treatment, before concluding that spine surgery is a necessity. In many such cases, only Ultrasound Therapy and Interferential Therapy are administered for the entire treatment and then the patient is informed  "Physiotherapy did not help, so surgery is the only option".

It should be clear to patients that in cases of severe disc compression / spondylitis /nerve impingement / stenosis, just 10 days of Electrotherapy can not do wonders.

In all such spine related problems, physical approach to treatment just acts as a catalyst to natural recovery and must be followed for a long period of time. Mechanical changes of the spine can not be corrected unless mechanical re-alignment is done. Electrotherapy must be used along with or as an alternative to medication to reduce inflammation and pain but  not as a complete treatment.

 Many practitioners restrict physical activity completely during the acute phase of pain, this needs a debate because total inactivity leads to consequential muscle weakness. Limitation of activity and kind of activity to be performed should be decided by professionals like Physiotherapists , who may use their Biomechanical Analysing Skills.

The fact of the matter is that most spine related cases do not need surgical intervention or even a thought of it.  Although few cases which may have irreversible complications or possibility of further aggravation, need to be referred to Surgical Departments and then best left to the Surgeon's decision for further follow up.

What we want to convey is that half-hearted application of Physiotherapy (in these cases 

-Electrotherapy) is a waste of time and also it promotes the idea of Physiotherapy being ineffective in such cases. As a patient, one should be aware that Physio Therapy being a medicine-free treatment may need time for providing a relatively long term or permanent recovery as opposed to many quick temporary forms of treatments.

Pseudo Sciatica - Piriformis Syndrome

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Everyone who has pain or numbness in leg, comes in with a self-diagnosed SCIATICA on mind.

Many patients even know the treatment to be done - Traction and Diathermy.

Sciatic pain is one which radiates from the origin of Sciatic Nerve in the Lumbar Spinal region and radiates down to the legs. Mostly it may radiate down on only one leg.

This sciatic pain is sometimes mimicked by another condition "Piriformis Syndrome". Piriformis is a small muscle in the upper gluteal region. This muscle may get over stressed and spasmodic due to sedentary jobs or may even have structural variations since birth. Sciatic nerve passing under / through the muscle gets compressed due to the above mentioned stress or structural variation. This leads to discomfort / tingling through the Sciatic Nerve route.

This condition is easy to treat once correctly diagnosed. Manual muscle release, Cryotherapy.

Stretches and treatment with Ultrasound therapy are very effective.

If this pain is because of permanent structural variation then minor surgical intervention may be required.

Infected muscle or direct impact on the nerve due to trauma may also lead to sciatic pain, so any such pain should not be ignored for too long. Early intervention shall avoid complications.

Online Physiotherapy Video Consultation

Link for THE PHYSICAL HEALTH CONSULTANTS Online Video Consultation form

physicalhealthconsultants

www.physicalhealthconsultants.com

Timing is not a hinderence for those calling from any time zones,  we consider late appointments after 10:00 pm IST also. 

The fee is minimal, so do not hesitate before contacting.  

 Patients who come for treatment at our clinic often tell us that their parents need consultation as well, but they are based in some other city.These are mostly chronic problems like arthritis, back-related problems or old injuries.  

 Few of these cases end up coming to us whenever they are here in Bangalore for a holiday. Follow-up treatment for such cases is generally done via phone or emails. Sometimes we refer them to follow up with physio clinics available near them.  

 This way we have treated many cases from across India and few cases from other countries as well. Particularly in Singapore, UAE, USA and Australia where some of our patients have moved permanently; they say getting a Physical Therapy appointment is a long and costly procedure there, so they find it easier to consult us online.  

 In India, our online consultations have become popular particularly in few cities where our patients mostly introduce us to their near and dear ones. We have never done any publicity for the same. Some of these cities where we are known include:

Kota
Jabalpur
Allahabad
Secunderabad
Raipur
Jaipur
Ratlam
Bhopal
Cuttack

Hyderabad 

Delhi

 The reason for writing this post today is that we are available at your service as and when you require. 

Make sure that your physical health continues to be maintained irrespective of your location.

Fill video consultation form on our website for  enquiries.

When Should I use a Cervical Collar ?

Some common questions asked by neck pain patients :

1. Should I use a Cervical Collar ?

2. Should I sleep without pillow ? 

3. Should I take any pain killers ?

4. Should I stop all exercise ?

It should be understood that all cases can not be generalised.

If you have pain due to muscle spasm or regular use of computers, then you may continue with all exercise,continue to use pillow,avoid pain killers and do not need a collar.

If there is a problem with vertebral alignment like changes in normal cervical curvature or disc compression /bulge then it needs to be handled more carefully. In very few cases pain killers and cervical collar may be required. Most people may be able to continue moderate form of exercise but exercise should be prescribed after elaborate assessment. Exercise prescription should be done only by a Physical Therapist. Patient should have no confusion about the fact that only a qualified Physical Therapist prescribes exercise. Teaching or training exercise is completely different from prescribing exercise.

 Pain killers or any form of medication is not a part of physio treatment,so one should not expect this to be discussed at a physio consultation. In most mechanical pains medicine and physiotherapy are two parallel forms of treatment and any one of them may be enough to subside the pain.Patient needs to  make a choice if he wants temporary relief by pain killers or permanent cure by complete rehabilitation.

In some European countries pain relief medication is prescribed by physiotherapists ,this is done in cases where physiotherapy alone may not work.In India it may be a teamwork between a physician and physio in cases where both exercise and medicine is needed.

The Family Physician - Your doctor friend.

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 Once upon a time, your dad had a friend; he happened to be a doctor.You called him doctor uncle. Always well dressed, respected by everyone and he had a sense of humour too. He knew you since you were born and seemed to be an encyclopedia on your grandmother's health issues. A person so close to the family yet a thorough professional when it mattered.

 This doctor knew few other families in your locality and had no plans to expand his "BUSINESS" beyond his capacity. He never charged a rupee from your gardener or driver, instead would take out sample medicine from his drawer and give it to them for free.

 Did he even know the definition of "Executive Health Check Up" or "Corporate Gifts"?

 You have fond memories of him right but does your child know any such doctor uncle?

  It is not a luxury, it is a necessity for every family to have a family doctor. Your physician may be from field of modern medicine or depending on family preference may be a Homoeopath/Ayurveda or any other qualified medical practitioner.

 This doctor needs to be the first point of contact for minor to major health problems. If your family doctor feels necessary, he may refer you to specialists. This may save time for both you and the specialist  doctor because most of the common health problems may not need referral.

 When you go to a known doctor, he relates quantitative analysis of your health with the qualitative understanding of your lifestyle, family history, psychological/social aspects and health in general. All these aspects may be difficult to be discussed with unknown doctor in a ten-fifteen minute consultation. Quantitative values like blood test and other tests are just indicative values which may be used by your doctor to come to a conclusive diagnosis, after understanding all other aspects. These numbers or data are easily stored these days in e files or e medical history and that may be helpful in emergency for quick review of ones medical history. Any such data becomes more relevant when analysed in the right way by the correct person. As robots can't replace friends, same way no extent of technology can replace the reasoning power of your doctor. So when a known doctor is involved in such reasoning, better conclusion may be drawn.

  

2015

2015.PAIN FREE.Not for rich alone but for everyone.We will try our best.
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2014

2014, we moved to a new address.Started afresh in a new name. Continued our old school philosophy of being friends with patients. Thanks to all patients who kept trusting our ways,and ensured the transition was smooth.