09 Mar Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy: What is it?
Musculoskeletal conditions comprise more than 150 injuries that affect the locomotor system such as muscles, bones, joints, tendons and ligaments. The injuries and conditions can range from short-term sprains and fractures to long-term persistent pain like arthritis, osteoporosis, back and neck pain. These conditions are the second largest contributor to disability worldwide, with lower back pain being the single largest cause of disability around the world.
Musculoskeletal conditions are not exclusive to older patients – they are relevant to all age groups with research indicating that between one in three and one in five people live with some sort of musculoskeletal condition.
What is a Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist?
A Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist has specific expertise in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. This expertise is gained through additional post-graduate training.
This additional training provides the physiotherapist with the expertise to employ more advanced clinical assessment and diagnosis. It also enables them to help patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
What types of conditions do they treat?
Some of the most common musculoskeletal conditions include:
- Joint pain such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis
- Bones issues such as osteoporosis, fractures and osteopenia
- Back and neck pain
- Muscular conditions such as sarcopenia.
How can a Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist help?
Musculoskeletal physiotherapists can help treat chronic pain where other treatments may not have worked. They will help:
- Diagnose the source of the pain.
- Provide treatment to relieve or reduce pain.
- Recommend exercises and movements that will help improve your condition.
- Help identify activities to avoid that may aggravate the condition.
- Advise exercises that will help manage your condition and improve your recovery.
If you are suffering from any of the musculoskeletal conditions described above please don’t hesitate to call St Leonards Physiotherapy on 9438 1782 if you’d like to chat with a physiotherapist directly.