Glossary term · Hospital & care
Physiotherapy (also: Physical therapy, Physio): Physiotherapy is treatment by trained physiotherapists using exercise, manual therapy and advice to reduce pain and restore movement, strength and function.
Physiotherapy is treatment that helps ease pain and improve movement after an injury, illness, disability or operation. The NHS says physiotherapists use exercise, massage and other techniques, and give you exercises to do at home. After joint, spine or heart surgery in India, physiotherapy usually starts in hospital and continues after you fly home.
What conditions can physiotherapy help?
- Joint, bone and muscle problems such as arthritis, back pain and sports injuries.
- Recovery after a heart attack and some heart and circulation problems.
- Movement problems after stroke or with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.
- Breathing problems such as COPD.
- Improving movement, strength and stamina after surgery.
What happens in a session?
The NHS says the first appointment covers your symptoms, history and lifestyle. The physiotherapist checks your strength and balance. Treatment may include exercises, hands-on manual therapy, advice and techniques such as hydrotherapy. You will usually be given exercises to do regularly between sessions.
How should medical travellers plan physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is often what decides how ready you are to go home after joint replacement or spine surgery. Ask the hospital in India:
- When will physiotherapy start after surgery, and how often will it happen?
- Will I get a written exercise programme, with pictures or video, to take home?
- Can the physiotherapist share a handover note with a physiotherapist at home?
- What equipment, such as a walker or crutches, will I need on the journey?
Arrange a physiotherapist at home before you travel so there is no gap. Your surgeon decides when you are ready to fly.
Questions people ask
Can physiotherapy continue by video call after I return home?
Some hospitals offer follow-up by teleconsultation. Hands-on assessment still needs a local physiotherapist. A combined plan works well: local sessions, with the Indian team reviewing progress if your surgeon wants that.
Who decides how much physiotherapy I need?
Your surgeon and the physiotherapist decide together, based on your operation and progress. The NHS says physiotherapists advise on how many sessions may be needed after assessing you.
Sources
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. How we write and check.