The physical therapy is a healing technique consisting appeal to natural elements (light water) or mechanical actions (massage). The word was born from the union of two Greek words: physis ("nature") and therapeia ("treatment"). The etymology, then, indicates that physiotherapy is the "treatment through nature. "
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physiotherapy can develop different tasks to diagnose a functional capacity, the strength of a muscle or the characteristics of the movement of a joint. And it is that the university training necessary to assume this profession prepares physiotherapists to act as competent members of Public Health. They should be prepared to read and analyze a medical history, refer their patients to other professionals when necessary, and to work in conjunction with other specialists. In addition, the physical therapist must be able both to contribute to recovery and to help prevent a physical disorder.
The antecedents of physiotherapy are very remote, since testimony of Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and pre-Hispanic America are recorded. Its evolution began with procedures that in many cases were based on religion and magic, although always with the intervention of physical agents. In Greece, through the work of characters like Hippocrates, medicine took on a more rational character, since it left mysticism in pursuit of research, to reach the source of the affection and, studying each individual in particular, give with the most appropriate treatment.
We distinguish three functions that this discipline fulfills in society:
* Assistance Function: the very performance of physiotherapy for prevention and cure, using the techniques of their field. The first step is the assessment of each patient to be able to issue a diagnosis, from which the path to take for recovery is decided, whether it depends absolutely on physiotherapy or requires the competence of other medical professionals.The main tool used in this discipline is the hand and, among the tasks carried out, we find massages, stretching and different physical exercises that have objectives such as correcting posture, unblocking the airway and improving motor control. But physiotherapy also relies on other elements and technology to improve health; application of electric current, ultrasound, treatments with water, heat and cold are some of the techniques that are not based on the exclusive use of the hands.
* Teaching and Research Function: through the university training of future professionals, it is important to point to an evolution of physiotherapy, opening the doors to treatments that make use of the different technological and medicinal advances that arise.
* Management function: professionals in this field can participate in Physiotherapy cabinets or centers as long as the legislation of their country allows it. These are channels that facilitate the dissemination of information to achieve a uniform and coherent development of specialists, through programs, activities and statistics at the national level.
Although, by not using toxic substances, adverse effects are not frequent, physical therapy can produce some inconveniences such as inflammation, effusion, clotting problems or infections. In general, these complications are linked to certain pre-existing diseases or conditions, so each type of treatment has its corresponding contraindications. In general, if we talk about manipulative therapies, their application should be avoided in patients with fractures, osteoporosis or rheumatoid arthritis, among other conditions. In the case of electrotherapy, to cite another example, people who have skin infections or inflammations, heart disease or, in the case of women, who are pregnant will not be able to receive thistreatment.