The global community is set to come together to celebrate World Physiotherapy Day, an annual event highlighting physiotherapy’s essential role in promoting health, mobility, and general well-being.
Observed every year on September 8, this day recognizes the invaluable contributions of physiotherapists to healthcare systems worldwide, from helping patients recover from injuries to managing chronic conditions.
As the world reflects on this year’s celebration theme- ‘Lower back Pain’- we take a keen interest in the critical role these professionals play in enhancing the quality of life and fostering active and healthy patients.
Speaking at Vivid Medical Centre, Mombasa, Dr Awadh Faraj Tahir, a Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, highlighted two types of Lower back pain; acute and chronic.
He explained that acute lower back pain is typically a short-term pain that often follows a traumatic event, such as an accident, a fall, or lifting heavy objects. In contrast, he noted that chronic lower back pain develops gra
dually and persists for over 12 weeks, often becoming a lingering, persistent issue that can significantly affect a person’s daily life and mobility.
Tahir noted that the causes of lower back pain can be broadly categorized into two types: spinal and non-spinal. Spinal causes are related to issues within the spinal column itself, including the bones, disks, and spinal cord. Non-spinal causes, on the other hand, may involve factors outside the spine, such as muscular or soft tissue problems, which can also contribute to lower back pain.
‘The most common pain we record is disk pain where a disk has left its space on the spinal column and is pressing on one of the nerves which eventually will cause severe pain in the pain and shoot piercing pain down the legs,’ he said.
He added that they look out for ‘red flags’ to diagnose spinal and non-spinal pain. He highlighted that red flags entail sharp pain shooting down the legs, pain that affects the urination of a patient, and also increases in nature leading to w
eakness in the limbs.
Jackline Cherono, Physiotherapist at Vivid Medical Centre said that low back pain is a very common condition they attend to. Globally by 2020, 1 in every 13 people is suffering from lower back pain.
Cherono emphasized that, as physiotherapists, they play a crucial role in not only managing the pain but also in educating their patients on proper posture and safe lifting techniques to prevent further injury and promote long-term health.
By guiding patients on how to move correctly and maintain optimal body mechanics, physiotherapists help prevent injuries and reduce the risk of future complications. Their approach goes beyond immediate pain relief; it focuses on empowering patients with the knowledge and skills needed to maintain long-term health and mobility, enhancing overall quality of life.
Cherono’s colleague, Robert noted that apart from massages and exercises they use nerve-activating machines to relieve their patients of pain, therapeutic ultrasounds that use sound waves to cau
se vibrations in the tissues to help heal the tissues, and supporting equipment and devices that help patients with comfort.
He noted that the physiotherapy services are affordable and that they do the first session free of charge.
He advised that physiotherapy is a more effective approach to managing pain compared to the daily consumption of painkillers, which can have long-term adverse effects on the body.
Philip Ndolo, a patient at Vivid Medical Centre said that he has been suffering severe neck, shoulder, and Low back pain since 1997 and that he had been to many hospitals both locally and internationally but still had recurring pain until he was referred to Vivid Medical Center.
He highlighted that he does his physiotherapy sessions quarterly and has noted great improvement in his general health, enabling him to do different activities like driving himself to work that he initially couldn’t do.
He encouraged the public to seek physiotherapy help as many aging adults go through different pains.
‘Many
patients tend to be misled into going for surgery for their pain when physiotherapy sessions can help them get rid of these temporary pains’ he added.
Source: Kenya News Agency