Say NO To Medications & Drugs: Relieve Depression with Physical Therapy
Depression and high-anxiety disorders are highly prevalent nowadays. It results not only in an enormous amount of human misery and lost health, but also leads to significant impairment in the ability to undertake the activities associated with day-to-day living. Moreover, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has built an environment where many determinants of poor mental health are exacerbated. Several factors such as the restrictions on social interactions and gatherings, excessive lockdowns, closures of schools and businesses, loss of livelihood, and reduction in economic activity, have substantially affected the mental health of the population. This leads to increased depression among people and more severe cases of persistent depressive disorder among people who used to suffer from depression.
About
The current treatments and dominant model of mental health care were not adequate to address this sudden surge in depression and mental health illness. These events set forth the need for a radical transformation in the paradigm and practices of mental health care. There had to be significant improvements made in the traditional standards of clinician training, research methods, and current models of mental health care delivery.
Also, the traditional methods of using antidepressant drugs were believed to be associated with adverse side effects and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in those with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions or major cardiovascular risk factors. Furthermore, various studies have proven that adherence to antidepressant medications is often not successful among patients as they tend to prematurely discontinue their antidepressant therapy. Hence, there has been an increasing interest in the role of alternative interventions for depression.
Physical therapy has been proposed as a complementary treatment that can improve residual symptoms of depression and prevent relapse. Exercise is the best potential treatment for depression. Contrary to some beliefs, depression is not a purely psychological condition. Numerous systemic characteristics—from chemical imbalances and joint aches to chronic pain can trigger depression in people. Therefore, when medication and drugs fail, physical therapy helps people who suffer from depression in their life.
Role Of Physiotherapy in Overcoming Depression?
Most of us are already aware of the physical benefits of physiotherapy as it is leveraged for the treatment of several physical conditions, but the importance of physical therapy in mental health is lesser-known. Physiotherapy for depression has multiple advantages as it stimulates our nervous system and functions as a therapy to relieve stress. This stimulation through physical movement can discharge endorphins from the pituitary gland which helps in relaxation. Endorphins are the hormones that help to enhance our mood, avoid stress, and relieve anxiety. Regular physiotherapy and physical activities also assist in suppressing the hormone called Cortisol discovers heightened in patients suffering from depression.
Physiotherapy in Richmond Hill is an excellent alternative. It is for those patients who do not wish to consume anti-depressants owing to their harmful side effects. On the other hand, physical therapy has no side effects, and you will see the progress after a few sessions. Each exercise introduced by the physiotherapist is designed with a blend of evidence-based therapies for depression. While simultaneously incorporating features to improve the person’s physical capability.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Relieve Depression
Increasing energy levels
Poor energy and lack of willpower to perform even everyday common tasks can be one of the causes of depression among people. Perform Energy conservation techniques with the assistance of a physical therapist to reduce muscle fatigue, joint stress, and pain. Hence, by being able to use the body efficiently and sequentially performing tasks, you can not only save energy but also overcome depression.
Work simplification and energy conservation principles will empower an individual to remain independent and will help them become less frustrated by their illness. One of the best suppressants to overcome depression is the highly energized feeling that can help you feel good both mentally and physically.
Improving the quality of sleep
Most clinical findings have proved that body pain, persistent backaches, and disability, can significantly affect sleep quality, hence leading to depression and lack of social functioning. Body pains are ongoing even if you are asleep and because of it patients usually experience sleep disorders such as poor sleep quality, regular awakenings, and shifts in sleep patterns. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that sleep disorders may also contribute to not only depression among patients but also to the development of various neurologic conditions.
A physiotherapist will be able to continuously assess your overall sleep health and provide effective treatments for insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome. Physical therapists will also evaluate how the physical condition negatively impacts sleep and suggest exercises that can improve the patient’s physical condition and reduce depression.
Relaxation techniques
Physiotherapy-based relaxation techniques are therapeutic exercises to assist patients by decreasing tension and anxiety. In addition to its psychological influence, depression can also cause multiple physiological responses. For example, increased heart rate, excess sweating, breathing problems, palpitations, and muscle tension. There are several variations of relaxation strategies that can help you undertake in order to reduce and overcome depression. These physiotherapy-based relaxation techniques can help individuals to cope with their everyday depression. It also does wonders for other stress-related health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and neurological diseases.
Read More: Stress management therapy: Ayurveda stress relief
Improving concentration
The lack of concentration on work, studies, or anything else for that matter could lead to poor performance. It can eventually make you more depressed. There are several studies that indicate regular aerobic activities and physiotherapy exercises. These are capable of getting your heart and your sweat glands pumping, can enhance the size of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the area of the brain involves in concentration, memory, and learning.
The benefits of physiotherapy come directly from its capability to decrease insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, and stimulate the release of growth factors required for improving concentration.
Helps you gain confidence
Standing straight and not slouching while interacting with others increases confidence among people. Physiotherapy and modern-day workspace ergonomics are capable of improving your posture hence enhancing your confidence. The more confident you are in yourself the less depressed you feel which can overall improve your mental health. Physiotherapists can help you maintain proper body alignment with exercises. For example the shoulders, spine, ankles, hips, knees, and other joints that are related to posture. Therapeutic physical exercises prevent joint pain and muscle strain as well as empower you to use your muscles more efficiently. Physiotherapy and modern-day workspace ergonomics are capable of improving your posture hence enhancing your confidence. Standing straight and not slouching while interacting with others increases confidence among people. Physiotherapy and modern-day workspace ergonomics are capable of improving your posture hence enhancing your confidence. The more confident you are in yourself the less depressed you feel which can overall improve your mental health. Physiotherapists can help you maintain proper body alignment with exercises. For example the shoulders, spine, ankles, hips, knees, and other joints that are related to posture. Therapeutic physical exercises prevent joint pain and muscle strain as well as empower you to use your muscles more efficiently.
Also Read: How to support students’ mental health during covid
Conclusion
As you now know, physiotherapy helps in improving your physical health and does wonders for your mental health as well. Physiotherapy in mental health care handles everything from human movement and body function to physical fitness and exercises. One of the benefits of this exercise is to have individual settings inorder to avoid group therapeutic gatherings. Additionally, it connects physical health and mental health by improving physical well-being to stay fit mentally.
Physical therapy-based exercises can help people improve common daily activity, thinking, cognition and independence; it can also increase cardiorespiratory efficiency; reduce osteoporosis, and sarcopenia; enhance the quality of life. It can help you take on more social activities and decrease social isolation, loneliness, dependency, fear, and institutionalization. In other words, it can significantly reduce the stress on mental health and empower you to overcome depression.