Through the years, humans have become extremely dependent on technology to the point that we use it in almost every move we make in our daily lives.
From the Importance of Technology in Physical Therapy-moment we wake up from the alarms in our phones to the desktop or laptop we use to watch out favorite movies right before we go to sleep.
Over the past few years, developments in technology had been continuously giving us advancements that we use for our benefit in different areas of our life no matter what we do for a living. One of the professions that technology had greatly impacted is physical therapy.
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy, or physiotherapy, is a profession in the health care area that is primarily focused on improving mobility and motion of humans.
Physical therapists provide us services that help us cure our injuries, restore proper function of injured body parts, improve mobility and prevent further injuries in us.
Why is technology important in physical therapy?
TherapyTechnology had opened the doors for new innovations in physical therapy and nowadays, physical therapists have used modern technology to help patients. Here are some advantages brought by technology to physical therapy:
Some physical therapists are now using programs that can automatically detect the problems in a patient’s leg movements. This is done by attaching different coloured markers to the patient’s legs and asking them to walk.
A program will then make a virtual video of how the patient moves using the movements made by the markers. With this, physical therapists can detect where the problem really lies thus, they can make the right treatment for the patient.
For years, physical therapists have used aquatic therapy to help strengthen the weakened body parts of their patients and now, aquatic therapy had been improved by modern technology.
With new innovations made, the water used in aquatic therapy is moving in a much effective way compared to before. The water is also now warmer which helps the blood circulate more in the weakened body parts of the patients.
Some physical therapists also use Kinect and other games to enhance the determination and motivation of patients to be healed quickly. With the required Physical Therapymovements needed to play or finish a game, these had been important tools in physical, occupational and neurological rehabilitation.
These games also help patients look forward to the next session which helps physical therapists since the patients are willing.
There are also new technologies that combine motion sensing, virtual reality and brain monitoring to help stroke and brain-damaged patients.
These will help improve the detection of post-stroke impairments thus physical therapists will be able to properly assess injuries and damages. In effect, the patients will be given the right treatment which will lead to faster recovery.
Bottom line
With the help of technology, the doors for new and non-traditional approaches in physical therapy had been opened which greatly benefits both physical therapists and patients.
Surely that as years passes, new technologies will be invented that will open up new possibilities in physical therapy and will make this profession advance more.