How Can Physiotherapy Aid Neurological Conditions?

When we say the word ‘physiotherapy’, do athletes and gymnasts treating their muscular & ligament injuries come to your mind? If yes, you’d be surprised to know the broad spectrum that physiotherapy can cover surpassing the mere treatment of injuries. For example, did you know that physiotherapy can impact and influence your nervous system significantly?

Physiotherapy is strongly recommended for conditions such as spinal cord injuries and brain injuries that affect our nervous system. It is especially beneficial for aged people as it continuously monitors their physical and mental activeness. Physiotherapy is not a ‘one size fits all’ concept, so no one method that works for someone can work for you. Physiotherapy treatments are chosen depending on your neurological condition.

The term ‘neurological condition’ itself comprises a wide range of diseases and injuries that affect the central and peripheral nervous system. Let’s take a look at the types of physiotherapy treatments that could benefit specific conditions.

1. Traumatic Neurological Conditions

As the name suggests, the diagnosis of these conditions has roots in traumatic events. Neurological trauma is an injury caused to the brain, spine, or nerves due to accidents involving vehicles, or falls that cause these types of injuries. Head injuries, concussions, spinal cord, and peripheral nerve injuries are the core sources resulting in people facing mental breakdowns.

A complete recovery is hardly possible for people with neurological impairments. However, a vast majority of these patients can be relieved with the help of a physiotherapist skilled in neurological rehabilitation.

2. Degenerative Neurological Conditions

Degenerative neurological conditions include diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These are conditions that degrade the function of the neurological system over time. In such cases, physiotherapists can have a profoundly positive effect on a patient's quality of life.

Physiotherapy for degenerative neurological conditions focuses on preserving the patient’s activities of daily living, joint mobility, balance, and strength. They derive strategies to retrieve any lost neurological function in a patient.

3. Secondary Neurological Conditions

A secondary neurological condition is a by-product of a pathological process. For example, a stroke results from an event limiting blood flow to a part of the brain. Or a neurological impairment resulting from a mass or tumor in the brain.

Physiotherapy for secondary neurological conditions focuses on stimulating neurological plasticity so that the patient can regain the functions they have lost. Thus, treatment plans vary widely and are designed to address the specific deficits experienced by the patient.

In older people, diseases such as Parkinson’s further increases the impact of neurological disorders. Even exercises that are important to lead a healthy life may become painful and difficult for these patients. Physiotherapy helps patients resolve problems experienced during swallowing food, moving independently, improved breathing flow, clarity in pronunciation, and speaking without stammering.

Conclusion

The symptoms and impact of neurological conditions depend wholly on the part of the brain that is affected and its widespread damage. A clear analysis of the same aids physiotherapists to design personalized processes to devise complex treatment plans with tasks that progress toward reaching a patients’ potential.

If you like this article, you would also like our workshop that speaks more on physiotherapy.

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