From the common back ache to respiratory disorders one can find help at this Physiotherapy unit

What a relief!

By Hiranthi Fernando

For patients suffering from all kinds of aches and pains, a recently opened Physiotherapy Unit at Asha Central Hospital offers specialized treatment and relief. The unit undertakes physiotherapy for the alleviation of respiratory disorders, rheumatological and neurological complaints as well as orthopaedic ailments.

"Our first patient was a stroke victim who had a lesion in the middle cerebral artery," said Aruna Illukpitiya, a Chartered Physiotherapist who heads the unit. "He had been completely bedridden for eight months when he came for treatment. I am happy to say he can walk now. It was mainly therapeutic exercises, a manual therapy which brought him relief." Illukpitiya commented that often, patients come for treatment after suffering for long periods of time.

Undergoing treatment at the unit was an elderly lady who was suffering from severe osteo-arthritis. She was receiving her second treatment of short wave diathermy, a deep heat therapy. "I already find some relief from the pain," said the patient who had suffered from it for eight years. Another patient with a chronic foot pain was also undergoing deep heat therapy on a different type of machine. Her feet were placed on a flat panel through which the heat was passed. Illukpitiya explained the deep heat treatment passed the heat evenly through the entire area. Yet another patient with severe back pain as well as neck pain was undergoing heat treatment, lying flat on an examination couch.

"Our main purpose in starting this unit was to provide patients with the attention they need in a proper manner," Illukpitiya said. "When a patient comes for treatment, we first examine the patient thoroughly and assess his needs. We have the necessary equipment for treatment."

Having worked as Senior Physiotherapist at the Accident Service and Intensive Care Unit, before he embarked on this venture, in August this year, Illukpitiya appeared to have much knowledge and experience in the field. Working with him in the unit was another fulltime physiotherapist, Ranjit Nanayakkarawasam who had worked as physiotherapist at the Chest Hospital at Welisara. There was also another physiotherapist who worked on a part time basis. The unit also has one nurse.

According to Illukpitiya, the unit undertakes various types of treatment. "We have electro therapy devices, ultra sound therapy and interferrential therapy. This therapy reduces pain and spasms, increases blood circulation and stimulates the endorphins, which are the body's natural pain killers."

"Our aim is to reduce the pain the patient is suffering," Illukpitiya said. He explained that many patients cannot explain their pain. "It is important to know whether the pain he suffers is more acute than before, continues in the same degree or is getting less," he said. "For instance if the patient does not tell the doctor that the pain is less than before, he ends up having more medicine than he needs. So we monitor carefully the localities of the pain and its severity."

Illukpitiya further explained that for severe back pains, the infrared heat is first applied and then followed up with deep heat treatment. For severe neck pains, back pains, chronic knee and foot pains, and chronic shoulder pains, special treatment courses have been programmed to give relief in a short period. These combined therapy courses have been worked out through experience gained. Recently, Illukpitiya said, they had treated a case of facial palsy.

For such cases, different programmes are worked out for enervated muscles which have a nerve supply and denervated muscles which have lost the nerve supply. The programmes are worked out to get back the nerve supply to these muscles. In the case of respiratory ailments such as Asthma, the treatment includes re-educating the patient in the correct breathing patterns, the removal of phlegm and relaxation methods followed by inhalation therapy by steam or nebulization. At the unit, Illukpitiya said they also use TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator) which is a small instrument used to reduce pain and spasms and stimulate the endorphins. In Britain, this instrument is used even to alleviate pain after bypass surgery.

The Physiotherapy Unit which functions between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. treats about 35 patients daily. According to Aruna Illukpitiya, after 4 p.m., a large number of patients come for treatment after work. He said initially, a patient must be referred for physiotherapy by a Consultant, after which they can make their own appointments for treatment. "I tell a patient he can be assured of at least 40% relief," Illukpitiya said adding "through my experience, I can promise that."

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