The title’s tricky, right? But it is true! Physiotherapy, along with physical health, focuses on the well-being of mental health and helps individuals find the mind-body connection.
In today’s world, where everyone from a child to the elderly is stressed, it really has become the need of the hour! According to WHO, in people dealing with severe stress only 1 in 6 survive and the rest die by suicide or poor health conditions. This fact highlights the growing need for accessible and effective mental health support systems. So here are 5 surprising benefits of physiotherapy for mental health, that actually work.
Benefits of Physiotherapy for Strong Mental Health
1. Pain Management and Reduced Stress
Studies have shown a direct link between chronic pain and anxiety. Physiotherapy methods like manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, and pain management can successfully reduce pain, which can make you feel better and calmer.
For example, manual therapy techniques like massage and joint mobilization can help relax muscles and reduce pain signals sent to the brain. Therapeutic exercises that are specifically designed to target the cause of pain can make muscles stronger and more flexible, which can later reduce pain and improve functioning too. Physiotherapists can also teach effective pain management techniques, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps people deal with pain in healthier ways and can lower their stress as well.
2. Improved Sleep Quality
We know it! Stress and physical pain can make it difficult for one to sleep peacefully. Which later, can make you more likely to have mental health problems like anxiety and sadness. Physiotherapy can help you sleep better by reducing pain, teaching you how to rest, and promoting good sleep habits.
We use heat treatment and ultrasound to help relax people, who are in pain that keeps them from sleeping. Relaxation methods, such as progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing, are also great ways to help calm the mind and body before going to sleep. Other than this, you at home can also fix your sleeping pattern by developing some good habits, such as taking a shower before bed, having an easy-to-digest dinner, sticking to a regular sleep plan, and making a relaxing bedtime routine.
3. Increased Confidence and Body Image
An injured person who has mobility issues slowly starts to lose confidence due to pain, low activity, and stress. But physiotherapy can help regain strength, and flexibility, and improve mobility. This newfound physical ability can boost a person’s confidence and self-esteem higher than it were before.
Physiotherapists can also help with postural problems like rounded shoulders or a slumped posture, which is often seen as a negative body image. But through correct exercises and postural awareness training, we can help you achieve better posture, better mental health, and an improved body image.
4. Stress Reduction Techniques
Burdened with responsibilities, everyone today is looking for some stress reduction tool. Let it be an expensive head massager, anti-anxiety pills, and psychology consultations. While they are solutions for severe cases, not everyone needs it. In physiotherapy treatment plans, relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises and mindfulness practices are often taught to patients, which not only control the problem at the time but also prepare the patient to avoid it completely in the future.
If not handled carefully, chronic stress can have a significant impact on mental health. Physiotherapists can teach such individuals relaxation techniques and guide them on how to apply them to their daily routines. With regular practice, these techniques can help to manage stress more effectively and to have calmer and more positive mental health.
5. Social Connection and Support
You will be surprised to know that, like a support group, physiotherapy sessions also provide a safe space for individuals to interact with healthcare professionals and, if needed, some other cured patients too. This social interaction can overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness, both of which contribute to poor mental health.
Respecting the patient’s privacy, the information shared during these sessions is kept completely confidential. Plus, interacting with a physiotherapist who provides a listening ear and personalized care plan can be a source of comfort and encouragement.
And these services aren’t for a specific group of people, they are for everybody. For employees stuck at desks all day, physiotherapy can help employees address posture problems and muscle tension caused by repetitive tasks, leading to a more comfortable and productive workday. Students carrying heavy backpacks and hunching over desks can find relief from back pain and improve their posture through physiotherapy. Parents who experience aches and pains from lifting children or repetitive motions can learn safe lifting techniques from physiotherapists, allowing them to take care of themselves and be more present for their families.
You can receive these services at home too by attending online physiotherapy sessions with us. Book a free clarity call today to experience absolute bliss. And don’t forget to keep smiling, it looks good on you!
