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Changes in barometric pressure and temperature affect the severity of pain especially for patients already having joint and bone-related issues. Lower barometric pressure—which is what we experience in the winter is associated with an increase in pain intensity and unpleasantness. Swelling, stiffness, fatigue, pain, and other common symptoms may become unbearable sometimes during winter.

The mechanism of why joint pain increases during the winter is not fully understood; however, it is believed that most of the blood flow is directed towards organs to keep them warm. Thus, decreasing the blood flow to bones and joints. Reduction of blood circulation causes constriction of blood vessels due to which there is less supply of oxygen, nutrients, and other essential fluids. All these factors cause joints to be less flexible, stiff, and painful.

Physiotherapy can help manage the pain and other symptoms of patients who have arthritis, spondylosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

How Can Physiotherapy Help to Manage Bone and Joint-Related Problems and Their Symptoms?

• Joint pain and stiff muscles are the most observed symptoms during the winter. Physiotherapy techniques such as heat and cold therapy, TENS therapy, and therapeutic exercises can help to manage joint pain and loosen the tightened muscles during the winter. The physiotherapist may also suggest some home-based exercises that may help you to decrease the pain.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is another disease that gets worse during the winter. The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis such as swelling, fatigue, pain, joint stiffness worsen in winters. Physiotherapy helps to control the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis effectively. Physical therapy, proper home-based exercises (under proper counseling) can help to improve physical fitness and manage symptoms of the disease.
• Spondylosis is a condition that affects bones, inter-vertebral disc, and joints of the neck. In winter, the symptom of the disease gets worse. Physiotherapy plays a vital role in managing the symptoms. Physiotherapy exercises helps in improving strength, core stability and increase joint’s range of motion and flexibility. Thus, helps in improving the quality of life of patient.

If you ask a woman how she feels during pregnancy, you will hear that she is delighted or in pain. There are wholesome changes that women undergo, and it can be overwhelming.
Though the entire phase of pregnancy is a beautiful journey, it comes with a lot of distress. It is estimated that 50-80% of women are affected with lower back pain, pelvic pain, and involuntary urination. One of the best possible solutions to address these problems is physiotherapy.
The first question that may arise during pregnancy for most women would be, “Is physiotherapy safe during pregnancy?”.
Physiotherapy or physical therapy is safe and is recommended by doctors.
To understand more about how physiotherapy can help during pregnancy, keep reading.

Why should you consider physiotherapy during pregnancy?

Physiotherapy is the science of movement to promote healing and fitness, and it’s not just for recovery. Physical therapy during pregnancy helps the body deal with common issues and enhances the ability of the body to have a smoother pregnancy.
The following are some of the benefits:

• Relaxing the pain caused by Relaxin: Relaxin is a hormone present in men and women; however, it is primarily produced in pregnant females. Relaxin is responsible for preventing damage to a woman’s body during pregnancy. The hormone is also vital for loosening of the birth canal and preparing the body for childbirth.
  However, high levels of relaxin in the body result in the loosening of other ligaments in your body, which results in joint, muscle, and body pain. Physiotherapy during pregnancy helps in dealing with the pain resulting from the increase in relaxin in the body. The targeted exercises also help in reducing pain and maintaining muscle strength.

• Helping in postural changes during pregnancy: During pregnancy, the center of gravity may shift, resulting in increased pressure on your lower back, which may cause the uterus to move a bit forward. Moreover, weakening the lower back muscles may cause you to lean forward with a bent on the neck, mid-back, and shoulders, eventually resulting in postural changes. Physiotherapy helps in the correction of the postural problems caused during the pregnancy.
• Reinforcing pelvic muscles: It is a known fact that pregnancy causes an increase in the frequency of urination. There is an increased blood flow, which adds additional work on the kidneys and releases extra fluid, thus causing increased urination. Increased urination and weakened pelvic floor can cause urinary inconsistence, a very common side-effect of pregnancy. Physiotherapy during pregnancy helps in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. Physiotherapy exercises can also help you to improve your bladder control.
• Getting ready for delivery and labor: Childbirth is a very burdensome event. The body requires high strength levels and flexibility to induce labor and deliver a fully grown baby. Due to this reason, doctors recommend pregnant females remain physically active. Physiotherapy can also be an excellent substitute for physical exercises. There is a wide range of pelvic floor exercises that help you prep up for labor and delivery.

Sciatica is not a medical condition; however, it is a common term used for underlying medical conditions such as a hernia or degenerated disc or nerve root compression in the lumbar spine, which may cause radiating symptoms in the leg. Injury or irritation to the sciatic nerve will pain lower back and radiates down the leg.
The goal of the treatment in sciatica is to reduce the pain and increase mobility. Physical therapy (physiotherapy) and exercise are typically the first-line treatment for treating, relieving, and preventing sciatica symptoms.
To understand how physiotherapy helps in sciatica, keep reading.

Elimination of Sciatica via physiotherapy

While treating sciatica, physical therapy can: promote healing of the underlying cause, provide relief from the symptoms, and prevent flareups and recurrences.
Physical therapy can help in eliminating sciatica in the following ways:

• Reduction of nerve pain: In sciatica, people are often advised to do physical exercises, but it is too painful at times to begin with, it. Physiotherapy may help in such cases to relieve the pain. Techniques such as acupuncture or manual traction may help reduce the pain and get you moving.
• Boost core strength: Lower back injuries often cause sciatica in many people. Muscular strength is poor to support the spine while lifting or doing other activities. While standing or walking for extended periods, they often experience leg and lower back pain. Physiotherapy can target the muscles that support the spine to develop strength, ensuring improved mobility and reducing stress while standing and walking around.
• Elimination of spinal stiffness: In many people, injury to lumbar discs often results in sciatica. In such cases, the range of motion of the spine is restricted. After sitting for a prolonged period, such people find it difficult to stand up. Physiotherapy can use hands-on manual therapy and various other exercises that may help restore movement in the spine. Also, it helps in resolving leg pain.
• Improving mobility: Often in sciatica, the pain extends to the leg and may cause immobility. When the nerves with less mobility undergo excess traction, it makes them more sensitive, causing more pain. Physiotherapy (manual therapy and specific exercises) helps in the restoration of normal mobility in the nerves.
• Improving lifting: Poor lifting techniques often cause back injuries in people that trigger sciatica episodes. In sciatica, it becomes difficult to bend or lift objects. Physiotherapists can help to lift things properly. The exercises not only protect your back from further injury but also help to strengthen the vital muscles.
• Posture and lifestyle modification: A physiotherapist will help in correcting posture while sitting, standing, and walking, managing and preventing sciatica. A physiotherapist also helps in teaching ergonomically safe lifting techniques and good sleep postures, which helps manage sciatica.

Like other health professionals, physiotherapists are governed by strict standards and have different areas of expertise. You may need to visit a physiotherapist for a specific health condition or to recover from an injury. Selecting a poor physiotherapist may result in delayed treatment outcomes, an increase in treatment cost, and a potential feeling of frustration.
Here is a list of 5 things that you should consider while selecting a physiotherapist:

• 1. Qualification: It is vital to check that the physiotherapist is fully qualified, registered, and accredited. The physiotherapist is required to have a completed degree from an approved institution or university. It is essential to check the qualification of your physiotherapist before you begin your treatment.
• 2. Specialization: Physiotherapy covers a wide area. It is thus crucial to visit a physiotherapist with relevant qualifications for the particular problem. Below mentioned are some of the areas of expertise for a physiotherapist:
  • Spine and head injuries
  • Cardiovascular
  • Sports injury
  • Mental health
  • Respiratory problems
  • Ergonomics
  • Post-surgery rehabilitation
  • Pregnancy
  • Geriatric

  It is important to choose the correct area of expertise before considering the treatment for a particular condition.

• 3. Treatment methods: Depending on your specific health condition, you may require alternative treatment instead of traditional therapy. Traditionally, physiotherapists usually used massage, manipulation, electrotherapy, and movements; however, other more alternative techniques have been implemented, showing excellent results. Many physiotherapists offer alternative treatments options these might include:
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Reflexology
  • Cranio-sacral therapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Reiki
  • Bowen techniques
  • Neuro-structural integration
  • Shiatsu
• 4. Availability: If the rest of the criteria for selecting a physiotherapist are met, but the physiotherapist is not available when you need an appointment, it may not be suitable for you. When you are in pain, waiting is the last thing that you need. In such a scenario, it is critical to get treatment immediately. Hence, always ask about the schedule, workload, and appointments. It is good to know if the physiotherapist will provide an emergency appointment if you need one. Small practices may offer impeccable treatment but may have appointment issues. On the other hand, larger practices can handle availability issues with ease.
• 5. Accessibility: Accessibility is an important criterion that needs to be considered when long-term treatment or regular sessions are required. Driving or traveling long distances is not advisable when you have musculoskeletal problems, cardiovascular disorders, or recovering from surgery or injury. It would be best if you find a physiotherapist that is close to your work or home. Moreover, other factors you need to consider are ease of access via public transport, parking availability, wheelchair accessibility.

A rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that surround and stabilize the shoulder. Every time you move your shoulder, you use your rotator cuff, which allows the joint’s movement.
The rotator cuff is a commonly injured area, which causes mild ache in the shoulder and often worsens with the use of the arm away from the body. The incidence of the injuries increases with age. For painters and carpenters, it could be an occupational hazard since it requires repetitive overhead motions.

What Are The Causes And Risk Factors Of Rotator Cuff Injury?

As mentioned above, rotator cuff injuries are prevalent. Most rotator cuff injuries are mainly caused by substantial injury to the shoulder or progressive degeneration or wear and tear of the tissue. Also, heavy lifting or repetitive overhead activity for an extended duration may damage or irritate the tendon, causing the injury.
Risk Factors:
The following factors may increase your risk of having a rotator cuff injury:

• Age: As your age increases, the chance of rotator cuff injury increases. These injuries are common in people aged 60 or above
• Family history: Experts believe that there may be a genetic component involved with rotator cuff injuries as they appear more commonly in some families
• Profession: Certain occupations such as tennis player, basketball player, baseball player, carpenters, or house painters require repetitive arm motions that lead to overuse of the rotator cuff, which results in inflammation

Symptoms of rotator cuff injury

Common symptoms of rotator cuff injury include:

• Trouble reaching behind the back
• Difficulty in sleeping on the affected shoulder
• Limitation in certain activities because of the pain
• Shoulder pain, especially at night
• Progressive weakness of the shoulder
• Pain or tenderness while doing overhead movement
• Difficulty while achieving full range of shoulder motion

Why does rotator cuff pain?

The inflamed or torn tendon mainly causes pain in the rotator cuff injury. The degree of pain may range from a dull, aching sensation to sharp pain that moves down the upper arm.
The pain in the rotator cuff does not correlate with the degree of the injury. The cuff consists of four muscles that surround the shoulder joint, each of the four muscles have their tendon. Issues with any of the tendons can cause rotator cuff pain.
Sometimes, the injury results from a single injury; in such circumstances, medical assessment should be provided as soon as possible, and the role of surgery should be discussed.

Prevention

Below mentioned as some of the self-care strategies that you can do to prevent the development of rotator cuff:

• Avoid smoking
• Weight management
• Maintaining good posture
• Engaging in stretching and strengthening shoulder exercise, recommended by healthcare professional
• Warming up before exercise
• Learning how to lift weights properly

Cervical instability is an orthopaedic condition wherein a patient has an upper neck or head disorder. A patient experiences this disorder either through a genetic disorder or it may be acquired later in life due to some causes.

Understanding Upper Cervical Instability:
With modern times and dependency on technology and gadgets, the lifestyle of everyone in the world is taking a hit. From kids to senior citizens everyone is hooked to smartphones and applications. Some do it for their job and others just for fun. With the constant use of smartphones and being constantly glued to them, the spine health of a human being is getting negatively impacted causing neck pain. While some of these pains are perfectly harmless the others might have a disorder. This disorder may or may not be Cerival instability.

In Cervical instability, the cervical vertebrae can move beyond the normal range of motion. This is possible due to loose or stretched out ligaments. This disorder causes the cervical spine to not be of appropriate support to the head and hence ceases the perfect motion of the movement of the head.

How do you know you have Upper Cervical Instability?
Like any other disorder, there is no prominent factor or sign that can say you might have cervical instability but here are few signs that can help you understand and go for a proper diagnosis.

• You might have difficulty holding your head up.
• Experience pain in the shoulders.
• Consistent headaches.
• Pain near the skull.
• Unstable feeling in the neck region.
• Heaviness in the head.
• Imbalance of the body.
• Tenderness.
• Tingling sensation shooting down your spine.
• A loss of awareness of the limbs.
• Less to No Neck Muscle Strength.


The above-mentioned signs or symptoms might point the finger to Cervical Instability and to be perfectly sure and get a proper diagnosis you must refer to an experienced and qualified expert.

What are the reasons you might get Cervical Instability?
Defining the reason to get a disorder is impractical. Knowing the cause of the disease is like understanding the existence of the universe. But still, there are a few causes and reasons which can point to the specific disorder. Here are a few:

• Genetic Disorder: Cervical Instability in a human can be defined by the abnormality in the DNA sequence of the patient passed down from their parents.
• Syndromes: Syndromes like Down- Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos come with a pre-associated condition called cervical instability.
• Past-Disturbance: Cervical Instability is a disorder associated with the cervical spine in a human, and any trauma to the cervical spine can cause the disorder within a human. From car crashes to any other injury which can overstretch the ligament.


Treatments for Cervical instability?
Of course, clinical and medical treatments are important to go ahead with the process of healing. But what we forget many times is that Physical or Physio treatment is also of the same importance. With Physio treatment, you can enhance the movement of the spine and can help with the speedy recovery along with clinical treatments.

Physio treatments for Cervical Instability?

• 1. Posture Education and Spinal Manipulation
• 2. Strengthening Exercises
• 3. Proprioception Exercises
• 4. Post-Operative Rehabilitation


All the above-mentioned treatments are non-surgical and majorly help in decreasing the stress in passive subsegments of the spinal functionality.

Without any resistance, the step while starting the non-surgical treatment is to go see an expert physiotherapist like Dr GK Balaji, who will not just diagnose the perfect physical treatment for your disorder but also under his supervision and guidance you can rest assured to wake up pain-free.

In this sedentary lifestyle where most of our days are spent sitting on a desk, working out has become a necessity and no longer remains a luxury. The gyms are always filled and that is great, but did you know you could injure yourself while working out? No, we don’t mean by dropping a heavyweight on yourself. We mean you could be prone to many internal injuries like sprains, muscle strains and even torn ligaments. And No this information is not an excuse for you to stop going to the gym or to stop working out. But just a disclaimer for you to start safe exercising.

What is Safe exercising?

Safe exercising makes you less likely to hurt yourself or suffer from any injuries. With Safe exercising, you can follow these tips to avoid any injuries while taking care of your health.

• Hydration: This is no secret that being hydrated always helps you, but being hydrated while exercising is 100 times more important. Do you know why ? Well, while working out an average human sweat a lot which leads to dehydration in the body. In-taking fluids like water can balance out your hydration level. Having water also reduces the soreness of muscles experienced post-workout. Don’t forget to sip the water every 15 minutes while working out and save yourself from injuries and pains.
• Equipment Knowledge: Have a proper demo before using any equipment or machine. Let your trainer show you, how to use the machine before stepping on it. Having a tailored routine for yourself is very important as it considers everything from your weight to any health conditions you have.

When it comes to weight lifting, don’t just lift the weights in any way you like. Ask a professional or a trainer to guide you.

• Workout Gear: Yes, this is as important as choosing your type of equipment. What you wear in terms of shoes and comfort makes you more or less likely to injuries. Having tight grip shoes on a treadmill is as important as knowing how to work out on a treadmill.
• Stretching: Warming up and cooling down before and after the workout are so underrated. Stretch your muscles before you start exercising, such as jogging or doing yoga, to prepare them for activity and prevent injury. Afterward is the time when your muscle needs to be stretched again because it will stiffen up from use during exercise.
• No repetition: Repetition of the same form of exercise is not advised every day. Change your exercise routine every week for your muscles to contract and tone in different positions. Following the same workout, every day can make your body rigid and prone to injuries.
• Listen to your body: Your body needs rest on some days and it whispers through constant soreness and pains. One of the best ways to avoid fitness injuries is to know your body’s limitations. Don’t push yourself to the point of pain. If you feel pain, you may be injured. Stop your workout, and rest for a day.

Keeping these few tips in mind while starting your workout journey is beneficial for you in the long run.

But, what if you somehow you still injure yourself after taking all the precautions? Does it get severe? Is there any non-medicated way to cure yourself from the pain? Yes, there is. Physiotherapy can help to make you pain free.

A lot of patients recover successfully from deadly COVID-19 disease, but a lot of them also have to face the short/long term effects caused due to the disease. To treat the after-effects of the disease one needs to put in a lot of effort and this is where physiotherapy rehabilitation after COVID-19 is required. These rehabilitation services are offered by certified physiotherapists.

The role of the physiotherapist becomes an integral part of the rehabilitation process for patients with COVID-19 who face challenges with physical movement.

After being discharged from the hospital the patients are asked to increase their physical activities. The doctors ask their patients to perform certain physiotherapy exercises for Covid-19 patients

Most hospital patients are referred to a physiotherapist at the time of discharge. Non-hospital patients are also asked to engage in certain post-COVID physiotherapy exercises to recover faster.

Post-COVID Rehabilitation- What does it mean?

To help the patients get back to normal functioning and reduce disability, some interventions are introduced to help them recover faster. This is known as rehabilitation.

A lot of patients recover from COVID-19 infection and face some residual symptoms. In such cases, rehabilitation can be helpful to reduce the impact of deadly COVID-19 on the overall function of the body and the health of an individual.

The residual effects of Covid -19 include effects on the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system, and mental health, etc.,

People with residual effects of respiratory system experience shortness of breath and chest physiotherapy for covid 19 patients helps them maintain saturation at almost 97-98%.

You need to consider that physiotherapy after Covid-19 is an integral part of rehabilitation in different phases like

• Early discharge
• Enhance his psychological and physical abilities
• Support the patient
• Reduce the chances of readmission

strong>Why Physiotherapy is important in post-COVID rehabilitation?

Certainly,

physiotherapy after covid-19

is important as it helps

• Enhance exercise tolerance in post-acute virus infection
• Cut down the hospital re-admissions
• Improve overall health and promote quality life.
• Get back to the routine and perform daily activities while managing muscle pain and fatigue
• Enhanced function of respiratory muscles and reduce breathlessness
• Improve muscle function in lower and upper limbs.Educate on useful techniques to manage stress and fatigue while carrying out basic activities.

Physical therapy for covid patient can help him/her recover faster and resume daily activities effectively.

Orthopedic physiotherapy works on the musculoskeletal system. The system comprises bones, muscles, and joints all through the body.
These components are prone to strains, sprains after surgery, injuries, or fracture.
Orthopedic areas include the back, limbs, and neck that can be affected on any part of the body.
Thankfully physiotherapy contributes a lot to treat orthopedic conditions. Some common types of orthopedic physiotherapy are

• Shoulder therapy
• Hand therapy
• Knee therapy
• Sports therapy
• Physical rehabilitation

Orthopedic physical therapy involves the care for the musculoskeletal system, which comprises of

• muscles
• bones
• joints
• connective tissue
• ligaments and tendons

Orthopedic physical therapy is given in hospitals, outpatient clinics, sports facilities, trained nursing facilities, and also at your home.

Conditions treated by Orthopedic physiotherapy

Orthopedic physiotherapy help treats almost all conditions that affect your mobility or movement in daily life.
If you have undergone surgery, orthopedic physiotherapy helps eliminate pain, improve your mobility, walking and prevent the building up of added scar tissue. Also, it can help you get back to normal mobility, balance, and strength.
People who undergo the following surgeries also seek help from orthopedic physiotherapist like

• Knee replacement
• Rotator cuff repair
• Knee arthroscopy
• Hip replacement
• Cancer surgery
• Heart surgery

Some of the treatments also used with orthopedic physiotherapy are

Exercise therapy

The physiotherapist would build an exercise regime that would include mobility, strengthening, and balance-building exercises.
Make sure you practice the exercises under the supervision of your physiotherapist to ensure you are doing the exercises correctly. After you get to learn the right way to do the exercises you can continue doing them at home individually to enhance your mobility and strength.

Traction

Traction helps reduce the pressure off the affected or compressed joints. The technique is performed by the physiotherapist manually with hands or with the help of equipment. This technique is helpful for patients suffering with

• Lower back pain
• Degenerative disc spine issues
• Neck pain

Hot & Cold Therapy

Orthopedic physiotherapist utilizes both hot and cold therapy to treat swelling and musculoskeletal pain. Heat & ice prevents muscle damage.

Soft tissue manipulation

This therapy is a manual physical therapy wherein the physiotherapist utilizes hands-on techniques on the ligaments, muscles, and fascia. The technique helps maximize muscle function.

Hydrotherapy

Here the physiotherapist would add water therapy to the existing treatment plan. The exercises are performed in a pool.
This therapy is beneficial if you have injuries or joint problems as water offers resistance.