5 Tools Everyone in Physiotherapy Should Be Using

Different pains need different therapies to get maximum relief and relaxation. For which, science is picking up speed in advanced research and development, to find practical measures for different types of pains.
It is essential for therapy industry to ensure that they invest in different and beneficial therapeutic tools to help patients recover with healthy development. This blog allows the people in physiotherapy industry to choose five brilliant tools in support of various needs and body types of patients.

Painful disorders which need types of therapeutic modalities can be:

• Chronic foot pain
• Post surgery pain
• Sprains or strains
• Joint pain
• Nerve sensations
• Muscle cramps
• Thigh and buttock pain
• Improve blood circulation
• Stress fractures
• Fibromyalgia
• Tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Arthritis/Osteoarthritis
• Bunion pain

MAXIMIZE THE TREATMENT OUTCOME WITH TOOLS LIKE –

1) A handheld dynamometer to measure muscle strength

A manual or digital muscle testing device like a dynamometer provides readings of a patient’s muscle strength before starting any therapy or even after a therapy to note the progress. Digital muscle testing dynamometer also allows therapists to collect, analyze and compile a patient’s muscle readings.

2) Ultrasound machine or a therapeutic ultrasound

An ultrasound machine when put in direct contact with the skin in combination with a transmission gel, it generates heat within the applied body part to treat pain conditions and heal soft tissue damage. It decreases pain caused by osteoarthritis, reduces swelling or inflammation, loosens tight joints, muscles, tissues to respond to treatment and increase blood flow.

3) Muscle stimulators

Muscle stimulators are widely used by doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, health centers and spas. Muscle stimulator helps in muscle contraction, reduce pain and improve circulation. Popular muscle stimulators are:

TENS unit

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a treatment that uses low to high voltage electrical current to relieve pain. It is a small battery-operated device which is connected to electrodes and can be attached to the body. The electrical impulses delivered by TENS unit underneath the body skin releases pain-reducing hormones. Foot Pulse ACU is a product that uses 12 TENS therapy in one to give ultimate relief from foot pain by blocking pain messages reaching to patient’s brain and reduce pain quickly.

EMS unit

EMS unit circulates blood faster while calming and giving recovery from musculoskeletal injuries and damage to ligaments, bones, muscles, joints, and joints. The unit passes electrical current through muscles and create contraction and strengthens them. Foot Pulse EXO is a powerful technology and more efficacious than traditional EMS therapy method.

Laser therapy device

Laser therapy is effective in treating acute and chronic pains. It also reduces inflammation, pain of analgesia and heals body tissues. Widely known as LLLT – Low-Level Laser Therapy is a low-intensity light therapy that uses infrared light over the injuries to heal soft tissues and improve damage due to wounds.

IFT therapy Unit

It is used to manage long-term and surgical pain. It passes constant stimulation into affected tissue area. IFT stimulation blocks pain and cuts back inflammation pain. It uses low-frequent electrical signals to treat musculoskeletal pain, joint injuries, sports injury etc.

Cupping therapy machine

Special vacuum cups are placed on skin that pulls tissues upwards. It encourages blood supply, loosens tight muscles, stimulate muscles and relaxes from pain.

EMG and NCV machine

EMG: Electromyograph machine is used to read and record the electrical activity of muscles known as an electrodiagnostic test. The intramuscular EMG requires insertion of the needle electrode into the muscle through the skin to note the generation of electricity of activated muscle cells by nerves.
NCV: A Nerve Conduction Velocity is also an electrical diagnostic test that educates about the nerve abnormalities and the speed at which the electrical impulse traveling through the nerve. Electrical impulses stimulate the nerves through electrodes.

4) Alternative Tools

Therabands and Theraband roller:
Theraband is a latex resistant band, which is used as an effective and efficient method to strengthen muscles. Theraband Foot Roller is very convenient and portable product for massage to gain quick relief from tiredness in the foot, heel pain, and foot soreness.

Kinesiology Tape:
An elastic tape is applied to the affected body part that to give support to joints, muscles, and tendons and allows smooth movement of muscles and allow blood flow.

5) Gym Equipment

Theracycle, dumbbells, exercise ball, treadmill etc. are some equipment that is used by physiotherapists to relax patient with physical exercises as therapies for foot, leg, thigh, buttock, ankle, back pain.

Suitable tools are used for different pains in accordance with the intensity of the pain. The ease of using these tools help therapists to provide a cure without extra medicines to patients. Although some of them are used with medication, these tools are definitely best for avoiding the side-effects of medicines.