Do you currently take part in a physiotherapy programme? Maybe you’ve had surgery recently and are working with a physiotherapist so that you can make a full recovery. Or perhaps you are one of thousands of people who deal with chronic pain and are looking for relief through physiotherapy. No matter what type of physiotherapy programme you are involved in – or what reason you have sought it out – you are able to optimise your results with good nutrition.
Physiotherapy And Nutrition
Nutrition may directly affect recovery and function while a person is under a physical therapist’s care. So, personal trainers and nutritional therapists should be concerned with and address nutritional intake as well as eating patterns of their clients and patients.
Science is progressively showing just how important nutrition is to healing as well as recovery. As we know, in a state of trauma – such as injury or surgery – the human body’s nutritional requirements increase:
- The body enters into a higher metabolic state and needs more energy.
- Trauma and lack of usage leads to muscle atrophy, which lengthens recovery.
- The immune system is weakened owing to stress and shock.
- Risk of wound infection is improved.
- Persistent inflammation postpones the return of function.
- Trauma and physiological stress lead to heightened fatigue.
Nutritional deficiencies hinder the natural progression of healing, including increasing the risk of infection as well as lengthening recovery periods. A patient who is nutritionally optimised will heal better and faster as well as have better long-term outcomes. One who isn’t will heal more poorly and more slowly and may have long-term complications.
Physical therapists, physiotherapists and nutritional therapists are committed to improve and promote wellness, general health, lifestyle in addition to quality of life. Thus, they are well-positioned – as established health-care practitioners – to provide clinically relevant patient education on the long-term health advantages of good nutrition which may include, e.g. behaviour changes in order to improve their general health and physical therapy outcomes.
In order to manage a patient as a whole with a holistic approach, physiotherapists need to have the basic knowledge about the role of nutrition and understand the effects of a successful behaviour change.
Can Physical Therapists Give Nutrition Advice?
Physical therapists are now actively employing nutrition into practice. They recognise it as an important part of optimising movement, physical function as well as improving health. Nutrition advice is an important intervention to assist individuals overcome chronic, non-communicable diseases. This includes many chronic pain syndromes.
Why Is Nutrition Important For Physical Activity?
Good nutrition is just as essential as exercise for your overall health. Through improving your diet, you will enjoy boosted energy levels, a stronger immune system and generally feel well more often than not. A balanced and nutritious diet of lean proteins, carbohydrates, and good fats can assist you eliminate extra weight and lower your risk of a number of different diseases, such as:
- Heart Disease, which leads to heart attack or stroke,
- Cancer,
- Diabetes,
- Obesity,
- High Blood Pressure,
- Kidney Stones, and
- Osteoporosis (bone loss).
Also, good nutrition can help to improve mental health challenges, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD as well as Alzheimer’s disease.
A proper diet needs to be low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol as well as sodium. Examples of fats that you need to avoid are trans fats and saturated fats that are found in fried foods, fast foods, packages foods, baked goods, sweets in addition to anything cooked in lard, vegetable oil and cream.
Likewise, foods with high cholesterol should be restricted and only consumed in moderation. Examples of high-cholesterol foods are red meat, processed meats such as bacon, and sweets such as cakes, pies and cookies.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Do you want to become a nutritional therapist? If you do, then you need to do our Specialised Nutrition Course. Follow this link to find out more.