Physiotherapy is not just massage!

Physiotherapy is a science-based profession that focuses on correcting movement dysfunction. Yes, physiotherapists employ massage techniques in treating their patients. Pain, stiffness, trigger points, muscle tension and other conditions respond well to massage, but it is just one modality in a long list of procedures that physiotherapists carry out.

Other physiotherapy functions are:

• Improve endurance and overall fitness level for work or play through exercise and other activities.
• Strengthen and develop key muscles needed for optimum performance in sport.
• Correct muscle imbalance that may adversely impact gait.
• Improve postural imbalance that may later cause neck and back pain.
• Provide stretching exercises to increase range-of-motion and flexibility.
• Assist in toning and firming muscles for better appearance.
• Design environments that are ergonomically safe.
• Provide you with the tools to help you get the most out of your life.
• Decrease pain and stiffness in arthritis sufferers
• Re-educate muscles and improve function in neurologically-impaired patients

Obviously, there is a lot more that can be said about the role of physiotherapy in health care, but the above should convince that the profession entails much more than massage. Why not come in and see for yourself?

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