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Physiotherapy
An Introduction to Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a highly credible healthcare profession which sees human movement and physical function as central to health and well-being.
The primary focus of physiotherapy is to assess and diagnose the problem, then plan and administer treatment programs that aim to restore function or minimise dysfunction after disease or injury.
Top questions about
Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening exercises are exercises which are designed to increase the strength of specific or groups of muscles. Strengthening exercises overload the muscle until the point of muscle fatigue. This force and overload of a muscle encourages the growth, increasing the strength. Weak muscles can increase the risk of injury to the surrounding joints and soft tissues. Physiotherapists at Physio.co.uk will assess, diagnose and provide an appropriate strengthening exercise programme for you.
- Muscle strength is improved
- Decrease energy expenditure as muscles are more efficient
- Reduced risk of injury
- Improve function
- Improve quality of movement
- Delay onset of arthritic conditions
Strengthening exercise programmes will include a variety of exercises designed to target specific groups or individual muscles. These exercises will begin easier and progress as strength is developed. Some of the exercises may involve the following:
- Exercising against gravity
- Exercising against the resistance of water
- Exercising against a resistance band
- Exercising with weight
- Exercising using your own body weight as the load
Strengthening exercising will only be effective if the muscle is overloaded. These exercises will be functional to the goal you want to achieve e.g. if the goal is to be able to bend down and pick an item up off the floor, the functional exercise would be a squat. This is because non-functional exercises reduce compliance.
- Arthritic conditions
- Post injury – strength is lost post injury
- Pre surgery – increasing strength pre surgery will increase the recovery rate post surgery
- Post surgery – as surgery will result in decreased function which will decrease muscle strength
- After a period of immobility – muscles start to atrophy if immobile.
- Movement dysfunction – strengthening specific muscles can help to correct this
- People with poor posture – some muscles become weak and longer whereas others may be overused and become tight due to poor postures.