Meet Annie Wong, a family caregiver with severe shoulder pain for years. She went for her first manual physiotherapy treatment and it changed her life completely as a caregiver. Giving care to an elderly in the family can be draining to the health, both physically and mentally. Annie has been taking care of her 85-year-old amputee mother for more than five years now. For this reason, it has affected her own health.
The Journey To Manual Physiotherapy
Being her mother’s primary caregiver, Annie has been lifting and carrying her amputee mother every day for the last two years. This has resulted in severe pain on her shoulder and her arms becoming numb at night. The pain is very concerning to her, and she spends many sleepless nights worrying about not being able to care fully for her mother.
Over a span of two years, Annie has tried various treatment options such as traditional massage, Chinese medicine, painkillers, physiotherapy, chiropractic, gym workout and many others, but nothing worked. Finally, she gave up external treatment for self exercise at home, by watching YouTube exercise videos.
Just a month ago, a close friend recommended Relive Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation (“Relive Physio & Rehab”) to Annie. As an incentive for first timers to physiotherapy, they provide an initial free consultation and assessment. With that in mind, Annie decided to give it a try since there is nothing she could possibly lose.
Physiotherapy Assessment And Consultation
Relive Physio & Rehab assigns their physiotherapist according to the patient’s health problems. In summary, their services include sports injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, strokes / Parkinson’s disease / brain injuries, spinal rehabilitation, cervical / lumbar problems and post-hospitalisation.
First of all, the consultation started with an assessment to confirm the problem area. Senior Physiotherapist Cheng Siang Kwang noticed that there is misalignment on Annie’s shoulders. Even more so, there is visible swelling on her right shoulder.
Cheng manually examined Annie’s shoulders to check for any abnormality or tension. In addition to that, an in-depth understanding of Annie’s lifestyle was crucial to diagnose the problem.
Annie shared her daily habits and lifestyle with Cheng. Through the conversation, Cheng was able to identify that Annie has been doing home exercises wrongly all this while, causing her pain to become serious. Not only that, the random self-help exercises on YouTube worsened her right shoulder so much that it affected her arm and wrist. Cheng pointed it out to her that the pain was actually self-inflicted.
Treatment With Manual Physiotherapy
Relive Physio & Rehab treats patients by using manual physiotherapy which is a combination of acupressure and massage into the problem area. This tailored treatment is designed according to the patient’s conditions.
Annie has tried various treatments previously including physiotherapy. However, this was the first time she experienced manual physiotherapy.
“A traditional massage leaves my whole body feeling tired and wobbly, whereas the manual physiotherapy makes me feel relaxed. As a result, I feel relieved from the pain. My shoulders are loosen too.”
– ANNIE WONG
Generally, the treatment duration takes approximately 45 minutes. Since the treatment targets the problem area, it is more effective in terms of pain management and relief for the patient.
Education And Tailored Exercise Programme
It is important to know the right methods to exercise and release tension in the long run. Physiotherapy is beneficial, whether you are a caregiver or a desk worker experiencing shoulder pain. Upon completion, Cheng taught and provided a tailored exercise programme for Annie. This is one of the ways physiotherapy can improve our well-being.
Maintaining your physical health and managing pain are not instantaneous. Regular stretching exercises and physiotherapy sessions will alleviate your problem. Cheng advises his patients that patient compliance is crucial in the road to recovery. With nearly a decade of experience as a certified physiotherapist, and having worked with countless patients including palliative care cases, Cheng also plays an essential role in motivating and giving encouragements to his patients.
Comfortable Space And Friendly Physiotherapists
Relive Physio & Rehab emphasises patient comfort, with treatment areas being cordoned off to ensure privacy.
A friendly and encouraging physiotherapist helps make the recovery easier and happier. Annie felt understood as a caregiver and the manual physiotherapy session has greatly helped relieve her pain and stress.
“Cheng is very nice and friendly. He is patient and understanding to my problems as a caregiver. He helps me identify my problems and we work together to solve them.”
– Annie Wong
Why Not Give Manual Physiotherapy A Try?
If you are a caregiver or know someone experiencing severe pain, why not give manual physiotherapy a try? Enjoy a free first-time consultation with Relive Physio & Rehab. Visit their Facebook page or call +6014-395 2618 for more information.
Address: C-G-11A, Jalan PJU 1/45, Aman Suria, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Contact: +6014-395 2618
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-8pm; Sat 9am-6pm
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Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the story. 👍
Thanks for this great write-up, Julia!