The Reasons For Rehab: 5 Benefits

Mr Ken Liew, CoreConcepts

The reasons for rehab: 5 benefits

Be it a sprain, strain or surgery, the road to recovery may be faster, safer and more effective if it is complemented with rehabilitation.

Rehabilitative physical therapy is more than just about addressing the ‘acute’ or initial phase of injury or pain, to help people of all ages to maximise their functional abilities – to move, do everyday tasks and live life to the fullest.

A rising trend

According to Ken Liew, Senior Physiotherapist, CoreConcepts, the demand for physiotherapy is increasing because of an ageing population and rise in age-related musculoskeletal conditions. Ken noted, “More older patients are seeking help because they know that being old doesn’t mean being in pain.” Denis Mecklenburg, Physiotherapist and Director, PhysioActive, also highlighted a rise in injuries due to the increased take-up of sport and other recreational activities. Physiotherapy is being sought as a way to not only relieve pain and speed up recovery, but also as a way to prevent injuries from occurring. “People see the link between function and fitness and are more willing to invest in their health,” Denis said.

Key benefits of physiotherapy

Denis and Ken highlighted five of benefits of physiotherapy.

It is focused on patient goals – be it for a grandfather to play pain-free with his grandchildren or for a tennis aficionado to get back on the court. Therapists will develop a customised plan tailored to an individual’s goals and help them return to their prior level of functioning, while also keeping them safe from further injury.

It gets to the root cause and considers the whole person, going beyond symptomatic relief. The goal is to determine the cause of the pain. A good physiotherapist spends time to investigate triggers and causes so as to prescribe exercises or other interventions to help prevent the problem from recurring. It may also mean making referrals to other healthcare providers such as occupational therapists, osteopaths or even psychologists. Unlike acute treatment, therapy is about building relationships and rapport to progress towards wellness.

It can offset the need for surgery and may be used as a conservative approach to managing problems in their early stage and to offset the need for surgery.

It engages, educates and empowers patients. Patient education forms an important aspect of a physiotherapist’s work because the best outcomes are achieved when the patient is an active participant in their recovery. Patients are educated on how to help themselves get better.

It helps patients get back to living life, pain-free and can bring about long-awaited relief for those who live with chronic pain or injury. Rehabilitative physical therapy plays a role in helping to help people get their function back so that they can safely go back to their daily activity or sport. Importantly, therapy focuses not just on affected muscles, joints or tendons, but strengthens supporting structures as well to prevent secondary injuries.