Winnipeg – The medical profession is one that we take for granted, one we expect to be there when we need them of course, we recognise the hard work and training that every member of the medical world has to undertake, and we appreciate it. There are some medical professions that cross over from the world of medicine to the commercial world. For example, the physiotherapist.
Every major world sports team will have its own personal physio. This could be someone who also works in a hospital or clinic. Or who works solely in the position for the team or a specific athlete. Likewise, every hospital will have a physio team in place to deal with recovering patients. Who uses a physiotherapist, what does one do, and when might you need their help? Let’s talk about the possible customers for a physio.
Who Uses a Physiotherapist?
Check out https://www.prairietrailphysio.ca/ for an example of a reputed physiotherapist clinic in Winnipeg. They offer the services that we would expect such a clinic to provide. So, who uses a physiotherapist, and why? Let’s start with the medical users.
Say you break your leg. That limb will need to be in plaster while the bone resets. This means the associated muscles will get no use for potentially several weeks or more. When muscles get no use, they suffer from what is known as ‘muscle atrophy’ or, more simply, wasting. This can happen when one is bedridden for some reason, or obese and have a lack of exercise.
During the lockdown periods of the pandemic physios found they were more in demand than ever thanks to people getting less exercise than normal. Back to that broken leg. When the plaster is removed you will see the effect of wasted muscles by the lack of them around the bone. This may also mean that movement in that part of the body is difficult.
A physio will be assigned to work with you using a series of hands-on massage and manipulation techniques to aid muscle regeneration. This will take a while and may need many sessions in order to restore the muscle to its former self. That’s just one instance and physiotherapy may be needed for physical damage other than broken bones. Now let’s talk about physios who work with athletes.
Physios and Athletes
We’ve seen that a physio can help where muscle and bone damage has occurred so why are they used by sportsmen and women? The physio’s actions – the hands-on massage and manipulation – can help ‘loosen up’ an athlete who naturally has to train hard and enable them to get the best use of the body. Heavy training greatly enhances muscle mass and also can result in stiffness and aches and pains.
By working with a physio, the athlete – who can be anyone from a track and field athlete, a football player, a cyclist or any sport that requires physical indulgence – they can keep the body in top trim for their campaign. The athlete will typically work with a physio a couple of times a week. Depending upon the frequency they are required to perform.
Getting a Referral
We’ve only touched the surface of what a physio can do – they can work with shoulders, necks, back pain and more to achieve comfort and ability – and rest assured if you have been involved in an accident that left you unable to move around and therefore with muscle atrophy you will be referred to a physio. If you think you could benefit from one, then contact a clinic such as that mentioned above, and they will arrange a consultation for Winnipeg.