Physical therapy
Using physical therapy, joint and muscle pain can be alleviated without the use of medications. Physical therapy is available at our several clinics in Budapest, where our qualified physical therapy teams are waiting for patients with joint complaints or sports injuries. Learn about the meaning and benefits of physical therapy and feel free to apply for a consultation!
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy is aimed at alleviating and eliminating pathological symptoms without serious physical intervention. The physical therapist takes into account the health and well-being of the patient, so therapy not only heals sub-areas, but also takes human health as a holistic basis.
While medications can be associated with serious side effects, physical therapy treatments have a much more favorable side effect profile. Dispensing with medicines can prevent side effects such as liver damage, urinary disorders and gastrointestinal ulcers.
Benefits
- It has an analgesic effect. The treatment can also have an immediate analgesic effect, as it works with mechanical stimulus which inhibits the activation of pain receptors, so even really sensitive patients can engage in a therapy under the supervision of the therapist.
- Natural. Therapy focuses on the use of natural energies, thanks to which the patient will not encounter harmful radiation and chemicals.l determine whether the disease can be treated with physiotherapy.
- Medicine-free. Treatment without medicines is a key aspect for many so that you do not have to expect side effects at all. consult a doctor who will determine whether the disease can be treated with physiotherapy.
What is physical therapy good for?
Primarily for pain relief, but also to eliminate complaints on the longer run. It is often used as an additional treatment for various intervertebral disc diseases, but it can also be a solution for muscle tension and connective tissue inflammation, fibromyalgia nodules, tendonitis and relief of nerve-originated pain. Due to the effectiveness of spinal physical therapy and kinesiological patches, as well as the effectiveness of ultrasonic and electrical methods of treatment, more and more people choose this naturally assisting therapy without medicines year after year.
What complaints is it used to treat?
- Joint complaints
- Muscle problems
- Tendon complaints
- Sports injuries
- Lumbago
- Tennis elbow
- Golfer’s elbow
- Arthrosis
Physical therapy or physiotherapy — what’s the difference?
While physiotherapy works only with ancient treatments based on natural energies, physical therapy uses also artificially generated energies. Natural energies include solar, water and thermal energy.
Physiotherapy treatments include spa and weight bath, as well as exercise therapy, therapeutic massage and hydro- and balneotherapy. However, a common point is that medicines are not used either in physiotherapy and physical therapy.
The most important advantage of artificial energy machines used in physical therapy is that with their help the time of treatments and the duration of the entire therapy is shorter. The machines can be used immediately and treatments can be combined for best effect.
Side effects of physical therapy
Physical therapy is free of adverse side effects, but there are a few cases where its application is not recommended. Birthmark or tattooed skin or area above metal prosthesis should not be treated as side effects may occur. In case of treatments in the cervical area, therapy may be accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, so the therapist should proceed with extreme caution when working with people suffering from hypertension.
Pain after physical therapy is guaranteed to be prevented with an expert therapist!
Although the necessary means for therapy can be obtained by anyone, however, in the absence of expertise, it is not recommended at all to engage in treatment independently. This is because the correct setting and use of machines requires a professional therapist, and amateur work can do more harm than good. Therefore, it is worth starting the treatments only in the presence of a physical therapist.
What physical therapy treatments can help?
- Electrical stimulation (TENS). One of the most popular analgesic treatments in the list of physical therapy treatments. TENS stands for the English term Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. During electrical treatment, the pain sensation of nerves can be effectively reduced by means of muscular-nerve stimulator devices. And thanks to modern machines, diverse treatment programs are available to the physical therapist and the patient as well. (Analgesic, but not painless, a little unpleasant treatment.)
- Ultrasound therapy. The essence of the treatment is that the vibration of the crystals in the ultrasonic head emits ultrasound into the body, which promotes faster healing, improves blood circulation, and supports the warming and relaxation of tissues. During ultrasonic physical therapy, the device is placed to the patient’s skin and the beneficial effect is ensured with the use of a special gel. The emitted vibration is then taken over by the cells of the body, due to which local blood circulation is enhanced. Of course, the power of ultrasound is regulated by the physical therapist, and it can be adjusted to a higher level to accelerate the regeneration of scar tissue, for example. Treatment is completely painless.
- Kinesiology patching. By applying a special patch, weakened muscles can be strengthened, joint mobility can be increased, blood circulation can be improved, joint and muscle pain can be alleviated. Although the use of a kinesiological patch is considered a relatively new method in the field of physical therapy, its popularity has been growing since the 1970s. The patch is often seen on athletes, who also prefer to use the physical therapy method developed by Kenzo Kase for the treatment of muscle strain and muscle pain, the correction of incorrect postures and the prevention of injuries.
- Shock wave therapy. It is a physical therapy technique used to treat heel and shoulder pain, tennis elbow and calcification of joints, and also bone fracture. During treatment, the patient lies on a soft pillow filled with water, then the physical therapist conducts shock waves into the pillow. The therapist ensures that the energies of the shock waves enter the body in the right place, at optimal proportions. The intensity and frequency of shocks can be adjusted on the device, and the therapy is carried out under the constant supervision of the therapist. In general, the improvement is noticeable after 2-3 treatments, however, the full therapy may take 5-10 sessions depending on the complaints.
- Soft Laser Therapy. Laser light treatment improves blood circulation in damaged tissues for faster regeneration. Therapy is carried out using a low-energy laser, in addition to stimulating cell functions, it also has an analgesic effect. In addition to arthritis and periostitis, it is also used to treat tenosynovitis and cervical atherosclerosis and neck pain. The physical therapist will select the correct frequency after thorough examinations so that it is neither too low nor too high. Soft laser treatment can also be combined with shock wave therapy and other physical therapy techniques.
How is physical therapy treatment performed?
1. Examination
As a first step, the physical therapist conducts a thorough assessment to explore symptoms and diseases. First of all, during an informal conversation, he/she learns about the patient’s complaints, and then examines the painful, sensitive areas in detail. However, according to the holistic approach to physical therapy, he/she takes the whole body into account and looks for posture defects and undiscovered problems.
2. Compiling a treatment plan
After a detailed examination, the physical therapist will develop a personalized treatment plan to address complaints in a targeted manner. He/she will select the appropriate methods of physiotherapy treatment and carefully compile a schedule. When preparing the treatment plan, he/she takes into account the possible diseases of the patient, so that he/she is sure to choose the right techniques. Then the plan is presented to the patient, who, if he/she accepts it, only the date of the first therapy is yet to be appointed.
3. Therapy
The third step may be the essential part of the treatment, the physical therapy to relieve and eliminate pain. Of course, the treatment is carried out under the supervision of the physical therapist, who regulates the machines during operation and asks the patient for feedback. Improvement can be felt even after the first time, however, depending on the type of complaints, it may take several treatments until the patient experiences a positive change. Treatment usually takes 15-20 minutes.
In our practice we combine physical therapy treatments with manual therapy methods, often used as an additional treatment or as a preparatory technique for greater efficiency and rapid regeneration.
The price of physical therapy
Physical therapy: 8.000 HUF (20 min)
Physical therapy combined with manual therapy: 15.000 HUF (50 min)
Physical therapy treatments can effectively alleviate the pain after the first treatment, and the complaints can be eliminated after the end of the full therapy. With the help of our team of physical therapists, thanks to preliminary examinations, we use exactly those treatment methods which are targeted to alleviate the pain.
Are you interested in private physical therapy to make sure you are in the best hands? We are happy to help you with our experienced team. Sign up for a consultation today!