Physical Therapy, a great option in the treatment of disabilities

Physical therapy could be a good option to improve the quality of life of people suffering from certain types of neuro-skeletal disabilities, assured Dr. Mauricio Amante Díaz, Professor of Physical Therapy at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara (UAG). According to the Population and Housing Census 2020, in Mexico, there were 6 million 179 thousand 890 people with some type of disability, which represented 4.9 % of the total population of the country. Of these, 53% are women and 47% are men.

A percentage of these disabilities have to do with neuronal, skeletal, or muscular damage, and physical therapy is so important for the treatment of these disabilities because it is part of the whole process of integral readaptation.
"Physical means, therapeutic exercise, therapeutic massage, apply to patients with these types of problems who have some neuro-musculoskeletal damage and cannot be independent in their daily activities," he said.

Ailments such as ankle sprain, arm fracture, joint pain and degeneration, physical trauma, and spinal cord injuries of various types, among other ailments can be treated and overcome thanks to this therapy. "Everyday people opt for this treatment alternative, however, there is still a lack of knowledge about rehabilitation centers to receive treatment and they turn to individuals who offer solutions, such as healers or sobadores, which will not help the body of those who suffer from disabilities it could worsen the ailments," he added.

To promote a culture of understanding about this and other issues, the UAG seeks to create awareness in the population about what it is to suffer from a disability and form young people with comprehensive thinking and direction in the application of physical therapy with teamwork in which they join from therapists to doctors of various specialties to psychologists.

For this reason, a rally will be held by the UAG's Physical Therapy Student Club on the occasion of the "International Day of Disability" to be celebrated on December 3 of this year. "We seek in turn to provide them with a space, attention, help, and understanding and it will be held from 15:00 to 18:00 hours that day at the facilities of the Institute of Biological Sciences," he expressed.

UAG students and people with disabilities will participate in this event to generate a coexistence and increase the level of awareness among young people and the UAG community about the importance of being empathetic towards these people and learning about the subject.

The activity is organized by students and teachers of the Faculty of Medicine of the UAG. The rally will consist of a wheelchair tour through a couple of corridors of ICB where they must take a ribbon; a tour through crutches, at the end they must take a ribbon; say and interpret a signed message of Mexican Sign Language; adapted soccer and blindfolded tour.

The four winning teams of these rounds will move on to the semifinals in which a blindfolded race will be held on ICB fields. There will also be a final which is intended to be a blindfolded soccer game.  The UAG Community is invited to participate and share a message of understanding and appreciation for people with disabilities.