Exercise and Rehabilitation

Physiotherapy exercises can greatly help patients suffering from musculoskeletal conditions. There are many various kinds of exercises that can be learned in rehabilitation to help patients regain their strength and mobility, and these can be coupled with other methods of therapy for ultimate results. Types of Physiotherapy Exercises The type of exercises that will be taught depend on which stage you are at in your recovery process. Recovery is not overnight and will vary from one individual to the next.
Range of motion exercises

Range of motion exercises can be done with a physiotherapist, or can be taught so that they can be done in the comfort of your own home. There may also be tightness in a joint or muscle, which restricts your range of motion. If this happens, the use of a heating modality can help loosen tightness prior to stretching, thus increasing your range of motion significantly.

Types of Range of Motion Exercises

Passive range of motion exercise (PROME) Your physiotherapist will move the affected limb along the range of the joint. This is for those patients who cannot move their limb.
Active-assistive range of motion exercise (AAROME) may be described as a movement with partial or minimal assistance. The restriction in movement might be found due to muscle weakness or muscle pain during activity. The physiotherapist will help in completing the movement. The pain should then cease after the motion is stopped.
Active range of motion exercise (AROME) The patient completes the movement without the physiotherapist, who may use verbal cues to help the patient with the exercise.
- Strengthening exercisesStrengthening exercises are for muscles that have become weakened due to an injury leading to immobilization. They can also be included in a patient’s general exercise program to prevent future injuries and muscle weakening, and also encourage overall health and well being. With this type of exercise, the muscle will become stronger gradually with the use of various tools such as resistance bands and weights. The intensity of the exercise will increase as the patient gains strength, and this, of course, depends on each individual and the severity of the original injury.
- General conditioning exercisesGeneral conditioning exercises use a combination of various exercise techniques including the above-mentioned range of motion and strengthening exercises, as well as walking. This will help to increase your cardio fitness, muscle/joint flexibility, and strength.
- Balance exercisesBalance exercises can be incorporated into your personalized program if you are experiencing issues with your balance. In this scenario, strengthening your muscles will be a large part of your program. As above, these exercises will be developed gradually and will increase in intensity as time goes on and as balance is further achieved.

Please ask your physiotherapist for an assessment to learn about the different exercises available for your individual needs. POST SURGICAL REHABILITATION Your physiotherapist can help you recover mobility after surgery. If you have just experienced surgery, please call to have an assessment done to best evaluate your individual needs. A combination of the exercises noted above will be used to help you recover.