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Physiotherapy - What it is
When it comes to the wide-ranging field of Physiotherapy, it's pretty understandable that people can get a little confused as to what it specifically is, alongside precisely who can benefit from it.
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So to help provide a greater insight into the area, we answer some of the questions we're most frequently asked below:
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Q1. So what exactly is Chartered Physiotherapy?
A. It's a science-based, Department of Health-approved profession that centres around:
+ Restoring,
+ Maintaining and
+ Improving People's Ability:
- to Efficiently Move,
- to Function Healthily and
- to Successfully Perform their Daily Activities...
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...thereby maximising the quality of the lives they lead.
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​Q2. And how does it go about achieving that?
A. It does so by not only assessing, diagnosing and treating Peoples' Injuries...
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...but by treating a whole host of Illnesses, Disabilities, Disorders and Diseases too.
For example, Physiotherapy (which is fully accepted as an integral part of modern-day conventional medicine) can be successfully used to do things like:
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i) Manage (and even reverse) numerous Chronic Diseases, such as:
Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension and Obesity.
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ii) Prevent numerous health problems from arising in the first place.
To illustrate,
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i) Injury Prevention Programmes (for varying groups such as Sportspeople, Workplace Employees, OAPs, as well as the General Public);
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ii) Preventative Healthcare Programmes (for males and females of all ages and backgrounds), and
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iii) Pre and Post-Operation Rehab Programmes are but a few ways Physiotherapists can help people to do so.
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Q3. That's pretty wide-ranging.
Could you break it down a bit more?
A. Of course. The most prominent area within the field is called Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy. ​
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This particular area (which is also known as "Orthopaedics") deals with the muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and joints that are so essential to how you move, and as a result, how you live your everyday life.
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Q4. What type of injuries fall into this bracket?
A. Some examples of the types of injuries / conditions that fall into this broad treatment category include:
i) Those that arise after a:
- Sudden fall, twist, kick or blow; or
- From over-exerting oneself when running, lifting, pushing or pulling an object.
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To illustrate, such "Acute" injuries include the likes of:
- Strained Back or Neck Muscles
- a Sprained Ankle, Wrist or Knee
- a Fractured / "Broken" Arm, Collarbone, Hip, Foot or Skull
- a Dislocated Shoulder, Finger or Jaw
- a "Pulled" Leg Muscle, such as a Hamstring, Thigh, Groin or Calf
- a Cartilage Tear in one's Knee or Shoulder
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ii) Those that arise over time from repeatedly performing the likes of:
- Gripping, reaching, bending or twisting tasks.
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+ Examples of these "Chronic" over-use injuries include:
- Tennis and Golfer's Elbow, Shin Splints and Achilles Tendonitis.
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iii) Those that may have more than one "Causative Factor".
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For example, a combination of one's gender, work activities / environment, health history, lifestyle, fitness levels, and unique anatomy / body composition could be at play when it comes to an injury or condition.
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Like the aforementioned injuries, these can be potentially experienced:
- As a sharp, shooting, stabbing or burning sensation
- As a gnawing, throbbing or pinching sensation
- As tingling / pins and needles
- As tension, tightness or heaviness
- As stiffness, soreness or dullness
iv) Those that are Age-related.
- Osteoporosis (which relates to the weakening of one's bones)
- "Wear and Tear" Arthritis and
- Fall-related Injuries
are just some examples of these.
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ALL of the above and more do we treat at Gold Standard...
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...with both men and women of all backgrounds and ages cared for.
Q5. I see. And the other main types of Physio are?
A. Broadly speaking, there are two other major types of Physiotherapy, these being:
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i) Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy
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- Also known as Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy, this treatment area centres around conditions related to one's Chest / Lungs and Circulatory System (which comprises of one's heart, arteries, veins and blood).
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- Managing conditions such as Asthma, Bronchitis, COPD, Long Covid and Heart Disease are examples here.
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ii) Neurological Physiotherapy
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- This treatment type deals with the rehabilitation of patients recovering from mild to moderate neurological conditions.
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- Among the conditions treated here are Strokes, Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease.
+ These types of Physiotherapy, we also provide.
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Q6. What about things like Sports Physio?
A. A particular favourite of ours!
Sports Physiotherapy (which includes the likes of Sports-Specific Conditioning and tailored Gym Programmes) would be considered a "Sub-Specialty" area of Physiotherapy.
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Other Sub-Specialty areas include the likes of:
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+ Seniors Physiotherapy (i.e. Physio for those aged 60 or older)
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+ Paediatric Physiotherapy (i.e. Physio for Children aged 16 or less), and
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+ Stress Management / Mental Health Physiotherapy
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...all of which we provide here at Gold Standard.
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In addition, recently arrived at Gold Standard are further Sub-Specialty services such as:
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+ Corporate / Workplace Physiotherapy, and
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+ Women's Health Physiotherapy
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- Stay tuned for further details!
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Q7. How does a Physio go about treating a patient?
A. In order to help patients:
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+ Remedy their injuries,
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+ Reduce and eliminate their pain,
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+ Restore, maintain and improve their mobility and function,
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+ Improve their overall physical, mental and emotional well-being...
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....we use a multitude of different "Gold Standard" treatment methods.
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Underpinned by an expert understanding of Anatomy and Physiology, these include:
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i) Best Practice Assessment and Diagnostic Tools
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ii) Specialised Hands-on Techniques (such as relaxing Deep Tissue Massage Therapy and Trigger Point Therapy)
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iii) Highly-Skilled Mobilisation Techniques (that are fast-acting, accurate, safe and effective)
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iv) Precise Manipulation Techniques (that are slow, smooth and relaxing, alongside being equally safe and effective)
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v) Expertly-executed Dry Needling (which is not only virtually painless but actually quite relaxing)
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vi) Leading-edge Technology use (which includes state-of-the-art Shockwave technology)
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vii) Highly Individualised Therapeutic Exercise Prescription
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viii) Specialist Education and Advice
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Q8. Could you tell us a bit more about those who perform this treatment?
A. Our Physios are all high-achieving University Physiotherapy Degree Graduates that possess not only an expert knowledge of how the body works but specialist, hospital-based diagnostic and treatment training.
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Indeed, when you choose one of our Physios, you’ll enjoy the peace of mind of knowing:
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+ They are fully qualified Medical Professionals who've been trained to the highest academic and professional standards.
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+ In fact, when it specifically comes to restoring, maintaining and improving peoples' ability to move and function, they're the medical field's foremost experts,
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+ They are fully committed to upholding the highest clinical and ethical standards.
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+ For example, all have taken the modern Hippocratic Oath, meaning your privacy is our priority.
+ They enjoy strong relationships with / direct access to Ireland's leading healthcare specialists.
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+ For example, our Partner Network is comprised of the country's most trusted and respected healthcare organisations.
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- These include: Santry Sports Clinic, Blackrock Health: The Galway Clinic and The Limerick Clinic, Bon Secours, Alliance Medical, UPMC, Affidea et al.
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+ They are constantly keeping abreast of emerging trends and developments via in-house and external Continuous Professional Development programmes.
+ The benefits they aspire to provide are not only physical, mental, emotional and social but financial.
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+ To demonstrate, studies show that as few as 1 to 2 sessions of pre-operative physiotherapy can reduce post-operative care use by 29% for patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement.
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+ This adds up to health care cost savings of more than €1,000 per individual.
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+ It is also worth noting that Physiotherapy is a Health-Insured Profession, meaning all major Irish Health Insurance Providers offer refunds on our treatment.
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+ Please refer to your own policy's terms and conditions to check your particular level of cover. Thank you so much.
Have any questions of your own?
We'd be more than happy to answer them!
Gold Standard Physiotherapy - Nenagh Clinic: Lisbunny, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. E45 C578
Gold Standard Physiotherapy - Kiladangan Clinic: Kiladangan GAA Club, Puckane, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, E45 DN47
Gold Standard Physiotherapy - Newport Clinic: Arrabawn Retail Centre, Jail Street, Newport, Co. Tipperary, V94 T327
Tel: 085 - 783 66 33
© Gold Standard Physiotherapy Ireland