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Physiotherapeutic treatments are one of the forms of rehabilitation that can contribute to a faster recovery. Rehabilitation can be carried out both in physiotherapy offices and at home. Both the first and the second form are reimbursed by the National Health Fund. A referral for physiotherapeutic procedures may be issued by a family doctor, orthopedist, neurologist, traumatologist or medical rehabilitator. However, waiting lines are often very long. What physiotherapy treatments are reimbursed by the National Health Fund?
Physiotherapeutic treatments they are intended to improve the patient’s health and improve the quality of life. These types of services are provided both in outpatient conditions, i.e. medical clinics, physiotherapy offices, and at the patient’s home. However, to be able to take advantage of physiotherapeutic treatments at home, a number of conditions must be met, which are set by the National Health Fund.
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Physiotherapy treatments at home
It is a very comfortable option for immobilized people and people who are lonely, and their degree of disability does not allow them to leave the house on their own. Obviously, a patient who is in this situation must first be referred to physiotherapeutic procedures conducted at home. The doctor writing the referral must add a note in which he will include information about the need to conduct procedures at the patient’s home. When qualifying a patient for physiotherapeutic procedures what matters is the type of illness you have and the time that has elapsed since its onset.
Z physiotherapeutic treatments at home can be used by patients who:
- have suffered an embolism, stroke or trauma within the brain up to 12 months after the onset of the disease;
- have been struggling with a damaged spinal cord for at least 12 months after the injury;
- have severe and very severe damage to the central or peripheral nervous system;
- have endoprostheses implanted in the hip and knee joints – up to 6 months after surgery;
- suffer from chronic, progressive diseases;
- they suffered leg injuries;
- they are in a vegetative state.
During physiotherapeutic treatments the rehabilitator follows the program recommended by the doctor. He uses it for about three days a week or more often, depending on the patient’s needs. This type of rehabilitation usually takes four weeks, and the National Health Fund guarantees a refund of up to 80 days physiotherapeutic treatments per year. If a longer rehabilitation is needed, it requires a proper justification issued by the attending physician. A physiotherapist performs appropriate procedures, which he often carries out with the use of portable devices. Thanks to this, the patient can undergo, for example, laser therapy or electrostimulation.
Outpatient physiotherapeutic procedures
In most cases physiotherapeutic procedures are performed in specialist offices. In fact, any doctor can issue a referral for rehabilitation. The National Health Fund guarantees the reimbursement of up to five treatments a day for ten days. It is important to refer you to physiotherapeutic procedures take up to 30 days from the date of its issuing by a doctor.
What physiotherapy treatments are reimbursed by the National Health Fund?
During physiotherapeutic treatments mainly physical phenomena are used, e.g. ultrasound, electric current, magnetism, light or low temperature. This is to stimulate the biological processes taking place in the tissues and lead to their healing, as well as to alleviate or eliminate pain, inflammation and swelling.
The magnetic field
During the procedure with the use of electromagnetic field inflammation is alleviated and pain is reduced. The tissues are hyperemic and warm. The part of the body that requires rehabilitation should be under the rim of the housing. The procedure itself is painless, it lasts from 15 minutes to an hour, and you don’t have to get rid of your clothes. It is important that the wardrobe does not contain metal elements. The magnetic field it is effective in the presence of neurological or orthopedic disorders, but also in urinary incontinence.
Elektrotherapy
During physiotherapeutic treatments with the use of electricity, special electrodes are used, which the physiotherapist places on the sick area. Electric waves are there to ease the pain. In no case can they be used on damaged skin. Physiotherapeutic treatmentswhich use currents are physical processes such as electroplating, iontophoresis or electrostimulation. There is a clear tingling sensation during the procedure. During iontophoresis, the drug is administered using an electrode.
Ultrasounds
They are most often used to treat pain in sick limbs. They are very often used together with drugs administered in the form of a gel to accelerate tissue regeneration.
Laser
Very often performed physiotherapeutic treatment is a laser that is effective in injuries of connective tissue and joints. It has anti-inflammatory properties. It consists of a device that emits a beam of light with a power of approximately 400 milliwatts onto the skin.