What is the job of a physiotherapist?

Physiotherapists are clinical experts, who offer treatment to patients suffering from physical problems due to injury, disease, illness and ageing. They are aimed to improve a patient's quality of life by using various modes of exercise, physical movement and massage.

Physiotherapy is a treatment done to the human body by understanding the different functioning, including posture, balance and movement. Physiotherapy allows the treatment of injuries, disorders and diseases through physical exercise, massage over surgery and medication.

Who are physiotherapists?

Physiotherapists are clinical experts, who offer treatment to patients suffering from physical problems due to injury, disease, illness and ageing. They are aimed to improve a patient's quality of life by using various modes of exercise, physical movement and massage. Thus, their methods of treatment alleviate pain, restore the function of different body parts and retain their agility. Again, in case of permanent injury or disease, a physiotherapist’s task is to lessen the effects of dysfunction of any body part. A physiotherapist can either work alone or in a team at hospitals, health centre, fitness centre, schools, sports clubs, rehabilitation centre and other workplaces.

Necessary skills possessed by the physiotherapists

Physiotherapists must possess extensive scientific and clinical knowledge which are required to assess, diagnose and treat illnesses and patient’s conditions. The job of a physiotherapist demands responsibility, sincerity, self-confidence and distinct skills. Along with these, they need immense patience to deal with critically ill patients. They also need to counsel patients and their families. Their positivity, optimism will generate the same vibes among the patients.

How does a physiotherapist function?

A physiotherapist must have a certain set up at their workplace. When a new patient comes to a physiotherapist, they must listen to the patient's problem carefully. Then they need to take the patient’s health history, carry out a physical examination and chalk out the treatment plan. They may take help of imaging and laboratory reports of the patient’s illness. A physiotherapist carries out the following methods for treatment:

• Massage to ease soft tissue pain
• Mobilisation or manipulation of joints
• Exercises to strengthen weak areas
• Use cold to reduce inflammation
• Use heat to increase circulation
• Ultrasound therapy to ease muscle spasms
• Electrical stimulation to help muscles contract that cannot do so effectively on their own

Again, a physiotherapist helps patients suffering from orthopaedic trauma to begin normal walking, or to cope with crutches, walking frames, or wheelchairs. The effective physiotherapy may help patients suffering from chronic back pain, or joint pain to avoid operation. At the completion of a rehabilitating treatment session of the critically ill patients, the physiotherapist shows some simple exercise to the patients which they can do at home and can protect themselves from further injuries and degeneration.

Types of physiotherapists

A physiotherapist offers treatment for numerous health conditions other than injury and trauma. They may deal with pediatric, cardiothoracic, neurological and musculoskeletal and women's health-related problems.  In the table below, know about the various work areas of a physiotherapist:

Different Types of Physiotherapists	Job Profile
Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapist	Helps patience to gain recovery after cardiac (heart) and pulmonary (lung) surgeries. Suggests diet and nutrition to these patients. Uses manual therapies to clear congestion in the lungs in case of Cystic Fibrosis.
Geriatric Physiotherapist	Deals with elderly patients and helps them to remain agile and movable to lead a normal life.
Orthopaedic Physiotherapist	Uses therapies like massage, joint manipulation, exercises, heat or cold application, and electrical stimulation to cure joint pain, problems in the musculoskeletal system and severe wounds after an orthopaedic operation.
Clinical Electro-physiotherapist	Helps cure burns, sores on diabetics, or post-amputation wounds using electrical stimulation and other healing methods.
Neurological Physiotherapist	Helps patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), stroke, or injury to the brain or spinal cord to recover. Restores coordination, balance, ambulation, muscle strength, and the living skills required to live a normal life.
Paediatric Physiotherapist	Attends the needs of children. Treats children who show signs of delayed development, congenital problems, illness and injuries. Women's Health Physiotherapist
Women's Health Physiotherapist	Attends women's problems. Treats women who are suffering from incontinence (usually due to pregnancy and childbirth), pelvic pain, or sexual dysfunction for some physical problems.
Sports Physiotherapist	Attends the sports persona and helps them to perform their best. Assists them with aids to avoid an injury and also help them to recover as early as possible after an injury and operation. All the sports person keep their own physiotherapist.

Now, a physiotherapist may acquire special acumen in any of these areas and start practicing on this particular field. It is seen that after acquiring clinical expertise in physiotherapy, the professionals start their practice at hospitals or nursing homes. Here, they work in collaboration with specific doctors. But with years they accumulate experience and may set up their own clinic and begin private practice. They may also work as experts in the sports teams of the country and abroad.

Types of physiotherapy  

The first and foremost task of a physiotherapist is to decide the method of treatment. Judging upon the ailments and issues the physiotherapist carries out different procedures to alleviate the pain, provide relief to the patients and facilitate their life. Here, is a brief description of the procedures, adopted by a physiotherapist to treat the patients:

Manual therapies: Patients suffering from stiff joints, pains, back pains are offered manual therapies to provide relief. The physiotherapist carries out procedures like joint manipulation and mobilization (which also includes spinal mobilization), manual resistance training, and stretching, judging on the severity of the patients' problems.

Exercise programmes: The physiotherapist shows some simple exercises like muscle strengthening, posture re-training, cardiovascular stretching and training to the patients which really works well upon the patients to cure their pain.

Electrotherapy technique: Some patients require Electrotherapy and the physiotherapist uses Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), laser therapy, diathermy, and ultrasound to lessen the severity of the patients' wounds and injuries.

Thus, the physiotherapists with their knowledge and expertise help patients to live a normal and healthy life.