Physiotherapy for Ligament Injuries: A Case Study

This report discusses the concept of physiotherapy and its effectiveness in treating ligament injuries through a case study. It includes a reflection on the profession, theoretical critique, and discussion of musculoskeletal physiotherapy. The report also highlights the importance of interprofessional care teams and specialisation in primary care. The primary intervention for ligament injuries is discussed, along with the physiotherapy action plan. The report concludes with a discussion on the efficiency of care services.

7126SOH Developing Expertise in
Professional Practice.

Table of Content.
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
REFLECTION.................................................................................................................................2
THEORETICAL CRITIQUE..........................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The concept of physiotherapy is generally described as a healthcare profession mainly
concerned with the functions of humans as well as its movements and its increasing physical
potential. It is generally concerned with determining as well as increasing the quality of life and
potency of movements among the spheres of promotion, prevention, treatment/interventions,
habilitation as well as rehabilitation. It specifically uses the physical approach in order to
promote, maintain as well as can restore the physical, social as well as the mental well-being,
taking into an account variation within well-being status. It is generally a science-based
approach, significantly committed to extending, applying, evaluating as well as reviewing the
information’s which can underpins as well as inform its care practices and delivery as well. In
this, the exercise of clinical judgements as well as informed interpretation is at its base. As per
the view of world physiotherapy, the physical therapy is mainly concerned with determining as
well as enhancing the quality of life and the potency of movements among the spheres of
promoting, preventing, treating, habilitation and rehabilitation as well (World physiotherapy,
2019). As per the view of Australian physiotherapy council, the concept of physiotherapy can
involve a holistic approach to measure the prevention, diagnosis as well as other therapeutic
management of pain, disorders of the movement or optimisation of the functions in order to
improve the well-being and welfare of the societies from both person or population's point of
view (Australian physiotherapy Council, 2020).
In this, the physical therapists and physiotherapists can effectively work within a broad
range of the well-being care settings in order to enhance a wide range of the physical disabilities
among other systems of the human body part. Furthermore, they can treat musculoskeletal
(joints, soft tissues and bones), neuromuscular (nervous system and brain) respiratory system and
cardiovascular system (lungs and heart and its inter-associated physiology). In the report, there is
a discussion about, the concept of wide range of physiotherapies that can help the patients to
effectively move as well as can able to locate. In addition to this, there is also a discussion about
the critical incident of a patient who has ligament injury during his sport event and to overcome
his injury, I have provided him a musculoskeletal physiotherapy so that he can move his legs
properly and can able to take part in the sport event in future as well ( Alhagbani and Williams,
2021).
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REFLECTION
It is analysed that the term physiotherapy generally help to restore the movements as well
as the functions when a person is injured or can involve a disability or some illness. With help of
physiotherapy, it can specifically aid to decrease the risk of an illness or injury in the future
prospect. Through the help of physiotherapy, as a practitioner it can help me to provide effective
care to all the people of every age group having a broad range of well-being conditions,
containing issues which can affect the joints, soft tissues, bones, the central nervous system,
breathing and lungs, the circulation and cardiac system. As a physiotherapist, I can work as a
part of multidisciplinary care team among multiple areas of medicine and settings as well,
containing community well-being centres or the clinics, healthcare organizations, some of the
surgeries with professionals and with some sports team, charities, clubs and the workplaces.
Sometimes, I can also provide care services at home as well. In my profession, I can consider the
whole body, rather than just concentrating over the individual aspect of an illness or an injury.
While providing the care services to patients, I can use movements, the tailored exercises as well
as the physical activity advice. As the effective care, the exercise is generally a part of the
physiotherapy that is provided to the patients to enhance their well-being and mobility as well as
to strengthen some of the parts of human body. In addition to this, I have worked in the special
areas of field such as musculoskeletal physiotherapy (Lakhani, 2020).
The musculoskeletal medication is specifically a diagnosis as well as a treatment of
issues arising from the musculoskeletal system. It is generally a specialised area of the
physiotherapy which can include the treatment of conditions or specific injuries that can affect
the joints, muscles as well as the soft tissues. In addition to this, the injuries that can be
effectively treated by the musculoskeletal physiotherapy such as muscle strain, sprains in
ligaments and arthritis. The people who have pain or strain in their joints or have arthritis issues
can effectively overcome by providing musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Through providing such
type of physiotherapy, I can able to help the patients to heal faster from their ligament injury as
well as I can effectively able to build overcoming mechanism to aid such type of patients during
the healing process. In addition to this, I can also able to avoid the happening of the secondary
issues as well. In this, it is all depend over the assessment which I will provide to the patients as
a physiotherapist, can set a goal as well as plan an effective care rehabilitation plan. In this, some
of the care treatment that as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist, I can use the exercise therapy,
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manual therapy, the self-management strategies and many more. In addition to this, the most
essential care treatment can be chosen and based upon the clinical judgements as well as on my
experience as a physiotherapist. By choosing this profession of care, my aim is to perfect
healing, can speed the recovery procedure, enhance the strength of patients, can effectively able
to restore the normal movements, reduce the pain, reduce the inflammation or swelling as well as
effectively enhance the independence. As the physiotherapy is generally considered as an
effective treatment for the ligament injuries. The ligaments within body are specifically the hard
bands of the tissues which can connect to the body. The ligaments can generally act as a pully
among the bones as the human body can actively moves around. Recently, I have dealt with a
person having ligament injury that is caused by the sport trauma to the joints. And to treat the
ligament injury of a person, I have provided the patient with crutch support having elevated
weight bearing the activities. Moving their joints through a range of motion, bracing and
splinting. I will strengthen the ancillary muscles present around the joints. Generally, the
ligaments are very rigid in nature as they will not stretch (Maxwell, Robinson and McCreesh,
2021).
A physiotherapist can physically assess towards the stability of the knee, hip, an ankle
foot as well as the surrounding structures to determine the best possible treatment plan for the
patients. In this, the treatment of the knee ligament injuries is generally depended over the
severity of the tear. In addition to this, the full ligament rupture can need a surgery in order to be
fully able to recover. The reduced grade injuries of the ligament can need a period of
immobilization but must be heal well with having the conservative management. It is the
responsibility of a physiotherapist that they must provide information to the patient about the
care management to the injury. Through providing the care services to the patients, it is analysed
by me that earlier, I was lacking in some of the skills such as not able to provide effective care to
the patients as per their needs to overcome their injuries. Earlier, I does not have effective
information regarding the care treatment of ligament injury but now with my effective practice
and skills, I will able to provide the care treatment to the patients and can able to provide
information to the patients about what they can do to reduce the strain or prevent more
occurrence of injury (Physiotherapy for Ligament Injuries, 2020). Through having effective
practices, I can able to relief the pain within the joints and enhances their mobility, provide
massage therapy to the soft tissue so that the patient can feel relaxed. In this, the primary
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intervention can include the ice, rest, elevate as well as compress the joints. After the initial
interventions, grading of the injuries required to be determined before the physiotherapy action
plan is instituted. Through having effective practices, I can able to develop the quality of the scar
tissues by using effective techniques in order to guide the direction it forms. The physiotherapy
care treatment can include the crutch support with high weight bearing the activities, bracing and
splinting, the goal directed therapies for the ligament injuries, motion of the joints via range of
motion, as well as effectively strengthening of an ancillary muscle that surrounds the joints. In
addition to this, the amount of rehabilitation and the time required for the full recovery after a
sprain generally depend over the severity of the injury as well as the individual rates of the
healing process. Such that, a moderate sprain in the ankle can need about 3 to 6 weeks of the
rehabilitation before the patient can return to their daily activities (Ligament Sprain, 2022).
musculoskeletal physiotherapy which was provided to patient included initial treatment
with ice. The order of initial treatment included protecting the ligament form further damage,
resting more constrictions, using ice and compression to reduce inflammation and at last
elevation of joint. After the initial interventions, ligament injury grading was determined in order
to initiate the physiotherapy action plan. Treatment included crutch support, exercise, bracing
and splinting and at last strengthening of ancillary muscles around the joints. Additionally,
medications like anaesthetics and analgesic with vitamin D were initiated.
THEORETICAL CRITIQUE
The approach of physiotherapy is generally an effective care treatment for the ligament
injuries. The ligaments are particularly the main bands of the tissue which can connect to the
human body. They specifically act as a pully among the bones as the human body can actively
moves around. A physiotherapy is generally a very promising, rewarding as well as a satisfactory
profession as a paramedical science has a great role and responsibilities within a healthcare
setting. In this, after clearing the licensing examination within country, it can effectively open a
broad chances or possibilities for the physiotherapists within the healthcare sectors. It is greatly
advantageous treatment of illness or injury disorders. By utilising effective physical methods, it
can help in restoring the mobility, its functions as well as the movements within an affected
region. As per the case scenario, while treating or providing effective physical therapies to the
patient, I was lack in some of the skills or the care practices that can lead to furnish insufficient
quality of physical therapies to the patient which results in his inactivity for about two months.
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As treating ligament leg injury can approximately takes up 2 to 3 weeks to make patient
completely active and can able to perform physical activities. But, while providing him care
treatment, I took about one to two months which depicts that I was lack in some of my care
practices and due to patient is not recovered in its given time period. To reduce this, I effectively
worked on my skills or care practices such that I can able to provide support to patient and can
also guide him about how he can take care of his legs at home as well. Through effectively
practising on my physiotherapy career, I can able to prescribe remedial exercises, muscle
strength evaluation and quantification, the physical treatment by electrotherapy modalities such
as ultrasonic therapy, diathermy, contrast bath, cryotherapy, the trans-electric muscle stimulation
and many more. I can able to balance in the neurologically affected patients, applying the manual
therapy, mobilization, manipulation of the soft tissue techniques and many more. It can help me
to enhance the status of patient with ligament injury (Poget, Blackburn, Descloux and Fiddler,
2019).
It is specifically reported that the physiotherapists were generally considered as an
integral part of care team members. The physiotherapists generally been determined as playing
an essential role in the primary healthcare team members, more specifically within the
musculoskeletal well-being and the management of chronic illness, due to the expertise in the
counselling of physical activities and exercise prescription. In addition to this, the inter-
professional care team working within the primary healthcare sectors is generally a key to
understand every care worker's role and it can be effectively attained via top down methods like
the problems raised within healthcare organization associated to the policy, its structure, space
and time that can furnish the bottom up strategies like an informal communication which must
not be underestimated as an essential method to improve the shared clinical decisions that are
made. Whilst the requirement for specialisation with the physiotherapy is mainly considered as
an essential concentration within the care profession across world. In this, there is a move to the
specialisation among the primary care having a development of the general practitioners with the
special interest and the nurse practitioner roles within primary healthcare. In this, many of the
ligament injuries can include the knee, shoulder and ankle, as these things are generally the focal
points on the human body which are quite susceptible towards the specific tear and wear. Across
United Kingdom, the multidisciplinary musculoskeletal healthcare at the primary-secondary care
interface gives a one stop shop where the physiotherapist can triage the patients into a suitable
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pathway management. In this, the specific models involve potential to enhance the delivery of
well-being care services with having effective infrastructure, thereby addressing the second
theme of optimising the care service resources. In this, some of the steps were specifically used
to enhance the efficiency of care services like providing placements of the students. In this, the
barriers to the delivery of care services can involve restricted opportunities for capacity building
as well as promotion both among the care profession and within the multidisciplinary care team
(Physiotherapy managers’ views of musculoskeletal physiotherapy service provision in Ireland:
a qualitative study, 2017).
The best possible evidences from the clinical trials can depict that the healthcare
treatment can attain a modest but definite enhancement for the patients having specific issues
with their health. Supporting people to stay active as well as at work can effectively aid them to
adjust their expectations and beliefs towards the realistic but attainable goals and can offering the
simple analgesic as well as the wide range of effective interventions like effective exercise,
manual therapy as well as acupuncture and encourage for the rehabilitation towards the
healthcare organization must involve outcome in less suffering, disability and missed work.
These such basic care treatments are generally systematically recommended within national as
well as the international guidelines as well as are those which the musculoskeletal
physiotherapists are significantly equipped to deliver the effective care practices. In this, various
high quality care trails of various effective interventions test care treatment versus the control
group of usual primary care initiated by the healthcare professionals, in most of these such trails,
the care treatment are efficiently depicted to be higher to such primary care, though the size of an
average differences among the group is specifically small to moderate. In this, it is clinically
essential that whole effectiveness and the specific difficulties of a front-line care services can
efficiently run by the healthcare musculoskeletal physiotherapists be critically evaluated and
specific educations, trainings as well as the developments of the healthcare practitioners in order
to provide such a care service that can be encouraged as well as effectively maintained. In this,
the information’s for the specific interventions can be offered by the musculoskeletal healthcare
professionals like exercises and the manual therapies can effectively varies from clinical trials to
trails, although the outcomes of these such trails can be attributed, at least in the parts, towards
the heterogeneous populations of the patients that are being recruited, the varying effectiveness
of the healthcare professionals as well as their effective care interventions quite need to be
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considered. In addition to this, the performance of such healthcare professionals required to be
critically reviewed again, there is information that various physiotherapists within a country such
as cannot deliver the guideline-based healthcare services (Vranceanu, Bakhshaie, Reichman and
Ring, 2021).
During the treatment of ligament rupture patient, the expertise which I realised to develop
included, my governance practices, tolerance and patience as the process require a long term
patience and if the therapy provider is not having patience during the process then how can the
patient have faith in process. Along with that, I felt that my expertise is require to establish the
patient compliance with the therapy and treatment as the patient looses hope in between and
show lack of adherence with treatment and exercise. For that, I need to make some plans and
improve my knowledge as well as the kind of services so that the treatment show efficacy in a
fast mode.
CONCLUSION
From the above reflection, it is analysed that choosing physiotherapy as a care profession
is quite effective within a care organization. The discussion can determine several complex inter-
associated components which can make impact on the musculoskeletal care service delivery
within the healthcare settings. The discussion can involve physiotherapist as a part of the
multidisciplinary care team, initiatives to optimise the care resources as well as the barriers that
can impede the delivery of efficient care services.
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Online:
Physiotherapy for Ligament Injuries, 2020 [Online] Available through:
<https://therapia.com/conditions/ligament-injuries/>
Ligament Sprain, 2022 [Online] Available through:
<https://www.physio-pedia.com/Ligament_Sprain>
World physiotherapy, 2019 [Online] Available through: <https://world.physio/policy/ps-
descriptionPT#appendix_1>
Australian physiotherapy Council, 2020 [Online] Available through:
<http://www.physiocouncil.com.au/standards>
Physiotherapy managers’ views of musculoskeletal physiotherapy service provision in Ireland: a
qualitative study, 2017 [Online] Available through:
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6452980/#sec5title>
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