Struggling with an injury is tough. Not only must you deal with some discomfort, but you may also be unable to participate in activities you love. Honestly, there are so many physical pursuits available in New Zealand, that standing on the ‘side-lines’ can be exasperating, to say the least.
It is also detrimental to your health — a sedentary lifestyle can cause all kinds of ailments, including obesity, heart disease and some types of cancer. According to the College of Public Health Medicine, lack of exercise is responsible for 12.7 % of all deaths in New Zealand. The College also says physical inactivity causes
- 9% of heart disease
- 8% of Type-2 diabetes
- 1% of breast cancer
- 1% of colon cancer.
Yikes! Who would have thought the simple act of doing nothing could be so dangerous?
Don’t wait around
On the subject of doing nothing, don’t procrastinate about getting treatment for an injury. This can lead to an injury taking longer to heal, and you could also be left with abnormal scar tissue, joint stiffness, and muscle weakness.
Types of treatment
Anyway, let’s get back to the types of treatment available to restore your fitness. In this post, we focus on three:
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry
- Massage therapy.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is the practice of restoring physical function by using mechanical force and movement. Physiotherapists help people suffering injuries, disabilities and health conditions and can specialise in several areas, including sports, paediatrics, and women’s health. Within these are three different areas of practice:
- Musculoskeletal: This is for treating conditions such as sprains, strains, back pain, arthritis, incontinence, diminished mobility and post-surgery rehabilitation.
- Neurological: This is for treating nervous system disorders, which include brain injuries, strokes, spinal injuries and Parkinson’s disease.
- Cardiothoracic: This is for treating complaints such as chronic bronchitis, asthma and emphysema.
Podiatry
Podiatry is the diagnosis and treatment of skin and nail ailments of the feet. Podiatrists play a vital role in helping people maintain their mobility, particularly the elderly and disabled.
Like in physiotherapy, podiatrists specialise in certain areas, including medical, rheumatology, vascular and sports.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is the practice of manually manipulating soft body tissues to improve a person’s health and well-being. People use massage therapists for several reasons, including to reduce stress, rehabilitate after an injury and ease pain.
There are two primary forms of massage therapy:
- Relaxation massage: This is also known as Swedish massage, and it is practiced in places such as spas, wellness centres and resorts.
- Rehabilitative massage: This is also known as deep-tissue, therapeutic, clinical or medical massage. It is practiced in places like hospitals and chiropractic clinics.
Don’t wait around, if you need treatment to help your recovery from an injury, seek out some help from a specialist, they can help you get back to doing the things you love.
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This content is provided by TXG for information purposes only. We advise anyone interested in this subject to seek qualified professional advice.