Physiotherapy vs Physical Therapy: What’s the Difference?

Are you suffering from an injury or another health condition? Did the condition cause you physical limitations that affect your day-to-day life? Good news!

You might be eligible for one of two kinds of treatments that can help make you feel better. The treatments are physiotherapy and physical therapy.

Is there a difference between physiotherapy vs physical therapy? The short answer is yes.

To learn more about these differences, read on.

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The Differences

Physiotherapy and physical therapy are both hands-on healthcare treatments. Their goal is to improve a person’s quality of life. What sets them apart is the skillset they each bring to the table.

Physiotherapy offers different types of exercises and therapies. These are all associated with promoting movement, physical health, and well-being.

This therapy roots in physical science and anatomy. It also uses different treatments, such as massage and manual therapy. These treatments reduce pain and discomfort.

Physical therapy involves the use of exercises, stretching, and other methods. Its goal is to increase strength and mobility for people with medical conditions.

Both physiotherapy and physical therapy are often used to treat several physical conditions. These usually involve soft tissue damage, sports injuries, post-operative recovery, and chronic pain.

Physical therapy focuses more on physical strength and maintenance. Meanwhile, physiotherapy is more geared towards rehabilitation and lifestyle improvement.

Benefits of Physiotherapy

The main benefit of physiotherapy is that it can be for both chronic and acute conditions. Individualized physiotherapy treatment plans will depend on a patient’s needs.

Physiotherapy can also help improve both physical and mental well-being and promote healing. Other benefits include reducing the risk of injury, improving posture, and increasing circulation.

A physiotherapist can help a person enjoy a better quality of life. The therapy alleviates pain and increases the effectiveness of other treatments. You can refer to this physiotherapy clinic here for more info on how this therapy can help you.

Benefits of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy helps speed up recovery periods and increases mobility, strength, and stability. It can also help with chronic pain, and reduce inflammation and swelling.

It can do all this while also improving posture and range of motion. All in all, it can provide general physical conditioning.

Physical therapy also promotes patient education as well as cognitive awareness. This helps people remain independent and in control of their health.

Physical therapy ensures that the body is operating at its fullest potential. This helps people maintain physical health and wellness.

Knowing the Difference Between Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy

Physiotherapy and physical therapy have a lot of similarities. But, there are some important distinctions to be aware of.

Physiotherapy focuses on rehabilitation and prevention of injuries. Meanwhile, physical therapy is more focused on movement-based therapy.

If you’re considering any of these therapies, make sure you understand the differences. Then, speak to a qualified professional to get the best treatment possible.

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