How Physical Therapy Can Improve Mobility, Motion & Balance

Physiotherapy is capable of helping our Nepean clients address physical injuries and conditions affecting their balance, motion and mobility. The trained therapists at our physical therapy center are able to offer a whole range of treatments for our patients in order to help them recover and return to their normal, functional level of physical ability. Here, we explain more.

The loss of a person's balance, mobility and range of motion are more than simply inconvenient, they can be absolutely life-altering. Clients may find themselves opting out of activities they love, or having to give up hobbies or pastimes because of their discomfort and the fear that with their reduced mobility, they mysteriously injure themselves further. 

Some people actually do injure themselves further by undertaking activities that are beyond their capacity or that put excessive strain on parts of their body that they may not even realize have been seriously injured in the first place.

This is where physiotherapy comes in. The physical therapists at our Nepean facility are able to offer up a whole host of treatments, therapies and modalities to patients who are suffering from a deteriorated sense of balance, inhibited mobility and a reduced range of motion, whether they stem from acute injures or chronic conditions. 

How can physiotherapy help me recover my range of motion?

As will all physiotherapy treatments, the program our physical therapists will develop to help restore your range of motion will depend on your specific case. Some causes of a reduced range of motion can include chronic pain, muscle spasms, acute physical injuries, invasive surgeries, bad posture and more. 

The treatments provided by our physiotherapists to improve your range of motion will be both passive (treatments conducted on a patient by a professional such as massage) and active (treatments provided through prescribed exercises that will be taught to you and overseen by a professional). 

The key when it comes to the loss of range of motion in your body will be the prescription of active physiotherapy exercises targeting the part of your body that is experiencing a reduced range of motion, whether that be your mid-back from sitting at your desk all day, to your hips or legs after surgery. The exercises recommended for these issues will often include stretches designed to help your muscles, ligaments and tendons to become used to stretching and being engaged to their full elasticity.

How can physical therapy help me to recover my mobility?

The ways physiotherapy can help to restore a client's mobility, like with their range of motion, will depend on the specific kind of injury or condition that is inhibiting their mobility. It will also depend on the degree to which a client's mobility is impacted.

For example, we can offer therapies and treatment plans for patients whose functional mobility has been impacted by physical trauma, a condition, or a disease. Functional mobility is a persons ability to go about their regular day-to-day life, like walking around a store or even moving in bed. Treatments that are designed to help a patient to recover a certain percentage of their functional mobility will look very different from treatments tailored to the needs of someone who has lost a significant amount of mobility in their neck.

As with a reduced range of motion, physiotherapy treatments to help patients recover their mobility are a blend of both treatments our physiotherapists will conduct on you such as hot and cold packs, manual therapy and more, as well as a series of prescribed stretches and exercises, with the aid of your physiotherapist if required, to help return you to your normal level of mobility.

How can physiotherapy help me restore my sense of balance?

Our ability to balance relies on 3 different systems and senses: our vision, a sense called proprioception and a fluid-filled organ in our inner ears called the vestibular system. Our Nepean physiotherapists are able to offer treatments to gradually help these internal systems and senses to begin functioning properly again. Stop us if we sound like a broken record, but the exact treatments that will be prescribed to a client will depend on their unique case and the cause of their sense of balance.

However, because you are trying to give your brain and systems as much "practice" as possible with keeping your balance in safe environments, one of the most common ways of helping to restore your sense of balance and then maintain it involves specialized exercises designed to engage your sense of balance without putting you at risk of a fall.

As with any physiotherapy treatment, our Nepean physical therapists will start you out small and slow with prescribed balance and coordination exercises. With prescribed exercises and professional guidance, we will be able to help you regain your balance and your confidence in participating in the activities you love.