Role of the Physiotherapist in Stress Management
Anxiety and stress were found to be the most common symptoms, alongside anger, depression and low mood to affect a patient’s mental wellbeing. It is important that clinicians recognise warning signs of these conditions as it has been noted that patients who have psychological complication are more at risk of developing further problems such as increased muscular tension, development of trigger points and reduced function.
After research, within clinical practice, there have been many different interventions used by physiotherapists to overcome these mental barriers. Some of these include; relaxation, imagery, cognitive behavioural therapy, neurological programming and ‘mindfulness-based stress reduction. However, the 4 which have been more widely used in clinical practice are goal setting, positive self-talk, effective communication, as well as including variation to rehabilitation exercises.
