Personalised physiotherapy for many ailments
Nilakshi Kasilingam. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
“There’s nothing more important than our good health – that’s our principal capital asset.” – Arien Specter.
It’s a warm Friday afternoon (May 6) and chief physiotherapist at Physio Medicare in Dehiwala, Nilakshi Kasilingam is at her desk, awaiting her next patient. With five professionally trained physiotherapists – four female and one male with experience in modern techniques, their mission is to maximise each individual’s quality of life by assessing, diagnosing and treating each condition.
As a physiotherapist, Nilakshi also focuses on rehabilitation for a multitude of conditions such as plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, amputee rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation and paediatric rehabilitation.
All the physiotherapists at Physio Medicare spend at least one hour with each patient, first focusing on getting to know the client and their ailments. They also educate the patient on the treatments available and also the methods of preventing new injuries.
“We treat the patient and the condition; not just the symptoms,” says Nilakshi.
Nilakshi obtained her Bachelors in Physiology from the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, India. Throughout the years she gained clinical experience in hospitals in Bangalore, India and Colombo, Sri Lanka. She then moved onto a private setting and now has seven years of experience as a practising physiotherapist.
She is also a member of the Sri Lankan Medical Council, the Indian Association of Physiotherapists, the Singapore Physiotherapy Association and the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT.)
Physio Medicare also carries out home-visits within the vicinity and assesses patients who may have difficulty with travelling between their home and the centre.
“A lot of people assume that physiotherapy is only for stroke patients, but there are many common ailments that can be treated by a physiotherapist such as frozen shoulder, back pain, arthritis and sports injuries,” Nilakshi explains.
“We treat our patients over several sessions,”Nilakshi shares, adding that they also cater to women who request female physiotherapists.
She is passionate about educating people in order to prevent ailments in the future as well as teaching patients how to manage pain at home. She warns that “phlegm in the chest can be life-threatening for children” and educates mothers on techniques that will help them remove the phlegm.
“Not many people know that a physiotherapist can treat things like that, as well as other conditions like curvature of the knees in children.”
She adds that “in order to gain back maximum mobility, the patient must be willing to push themselves to get better” and step out of their comfort zone.
The fully equipped centre also offers a range of services from posture correction to spine care (ergonomics) and wax treatment. They focus on a range of electrotherapy treatments such as interferential therapy (IFT), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), short wave diathermy (SWD), combined therapy and muscle stimulators.
Interferential Therapy –IFT
Interferential therapy is a form of low frequency electrical therapy that uses safe, minute electrical pulses to relieve pain, stimulate muscles and reduce oedema.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation – TENS
This form of therapy uses a low voltage electric current to relieve pain. It is generally carried out with a small battery-powered machine that can be adjusted to different wavelength frequencies. It is used to improve sleep patterns, increase motion and function and increase circulation and healing.
Short Wave Diathermy – SWD
The heat energy created by alternating high frequency current is used for pain relief. It is commonly used to treat conditions such as plantar fasciitis, cervical spondylosis, osteoarthritis, sinusitis and haematomas.
Physio Medicare’s general approach for treatments is “a combination of manual techniques with electrotherapy and appropriate exercises.” Nilakshi explains that they strive for “personalised treatment at an affordable cost.”