Acupuncture and Physiotherapy are two common treatment seen in Singapore for pain, injury and disease. Let’s understand more:
Acupuncture in Singapore
Acupuncture is a alternative eastern traditional medicine which is carried out by needles poked into the body parts, done mostly by Chinese Sinseh or practitioner. Some may feel painful or discomfort when needles manipulated inside.
Physiotherapy in Singapore
Physiotherapy is an mainstream westernised healthcare profession expertise in human body function and movement. Physio treats individuals based on a clinical diagnosis. A physiotherapist considers every patient as a different entity, physical examination of each patient, makes a structural and biomechanical analysis and then corrects the dysfunction with the help of non-invasive treatments such as using hands to perform manual joint mobilization or manipulation, pain relief treatment equipment, training to walk and therapeutic exercises.
A physiotherapist is also involved in prescribing exercise programmes for the professional athletes and sportsmen who suffered from a sports injury. Planning for rehabilitation and optimize sports performance, and fast return to sports. Besides sports physiotherapy, the physiotherapist also carries out exercise testing and prescription for people with medical conditions such as heart and lung problem, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis. A therapist plays a very important responsibility after surgery, such as total knee replacement, total hip replacement, ligament reconstruction, and neurosurgery. The patient undergo different stages of activities and exercises, so as to bring him to a level where he can perform his activities of daily living, back to sports or work.
In neurological conditions like stroke, parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Guilian Barre Syndrome, the physiotherapist plays a very important role rehabilitating the patient so that he can be less dependent at least in his activities of daily living such as getting up from bed, sitting, bathing, eating. Without physiotherapy treatment these patients would most probably never, regain function to their maximum performance.
A physiotherapist can also help in the hospital intensive care unit (ICU) to prevent secondary complications by chest physiotherapy, change of position, breathing exercises and mobility exercises to prevent muscle stiffness or contractures. Eventually, bringing the patient back to walking out strongly out of the hospital.
Difference between acupuncture and physiotherapy
Acupuncturist works on only one theory that bodily functions are all regulated by the flow of an energy called qi, and acupuncture helps to correct the flow of qi by stimulation of acupuncture points which lie under the skin. These points are generally joined by what are called meridians. Scientific research has failed to find any correlate between qi, meridian and acupuncture points. The acupuncturists believe that by balancing the flow of qi they can treat all pain, injury or diseases.
Even research proving beneficial effects on these disorders seem to be biased. However, some people still do feel better with acupuncture.
Physiotherapy is in sharp contrast to acupuncture, where evidence is concerned. All treatment and exercises are based on clinical studies. There is strong scientific reseearches which has time and again proven the beneficial effects of physiotherapy, in the treatment of various conditions.
There are clinical physiotherapist in Singapore who are actively involved in research work and clinicians who depend on this research to treat their patients with a logical and scientifically explainable mode of treatment.
