Kinésithérapeute

DURATION

3 years
CONDITIONS

Bac and more
DIPLOMA

Specialized Technician

Physiotherapy is a paramedical discipline based on various techniques: massages, gymnastic movements with or without an instrument, physiotherapy, etc. This health professional works in close collaboration with the medical team. He practices in hospitals as well as in clinics, retirement homes or town practices, and intervenes at all ages of life.

Definition and objectives

What is physiotherapy?

To know! The term “masseur-physiotherapist” comes from the Greek words “massins” (to knead), “kinesis” (movement) and “therapeuein” (to heal).

The masseur-kinesitherapist performs, manually or with the help of instruments, rehabilitation and rehabilitation care aimed at preserving, restoring or supplementing the integrity, both structural and functional, of a person confronted with a trauma, illness or disability.

In Morocco, the exercise of physiotherapy requires obtaining a state paramedical diploma issued after 3 years of training. This profession is recent. Indeed, it was only after the Second World War, to treat and rehabilitate the war wounded that the diploma of masseur-physiotherapist was created. Later, the public health law of August 9, 2008 created the Order of physiotherapist masseurs.

If the physiotherapist treats benign ailments such as low back pain, torticollis or sprains, he also treats trauma related to accidents or the consequences of aging. The field of application of physiotherapy is therefore very wide: neurological pathologies, traumatology, rheumatic conditions, balance disorders, urinary and fecal incontinence, oncology, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular conditions, swallowing disorders, rehabilitation, etc. The physiotherapist intervenes at all ages in the life of patients.

To know! The physiotherapist can specialize in various fields including sports, rheumatology, respiratory physiotherapy, and even animal physiotherapy.

What objectives?

The objective of physiotherapy treatment depends on the patient's condition.
It could thus be:

To restore to the latter his functional capacities or his ability to mobilize his body.
To maintain abilities likely to deteriorate due to illness or accident.
To teach the patient to compensate for a functional loss in order to improve his quality of life.

Techniques and course of a session

The different techniques

For the implementation of the treatments prescribed by the doctor, the physiotherapist can use the following techniques:

The massages. Massage is defined as the set of techniques using the hands (kneading, pressure, etc.) and exerted on different parts of the body for therapeutic purposes.
Postures and acts of joint mobilization.
La Manual mobilization of all joints.
Musculotendinous stretching.
Mechanotherapy (rehabilitation process using devices to mobilize the joints).
The production and application of flexible restraints, adhesive or not, rehabilitation devices and postures.
Neuromuscular relaxation.

Electro-physiotherapy (based on the application of electric currents or waves).
Thermotherapy (use of heat) and cryotherapy (use of cold) widely used in the treatment of pain. Heat produces an analgesic effect by reducing muscle contractures, improving blood circulation and activating pain control mechanisms. Conversely, the cold would, according to several studies, limit the transmission of painful messages, and therefore would also lead to the relief of the patient.
Physio-balneotherapy (care based on body baths or one of its parts).
Hydrotherapy (water treatment).
Pressotherapy (treatment of circulatory disorders using a sleeve that inflates and deflates automatically).

To note! There are two main types of rehabilitation techniques: active or passive.

Active techniques are based on muscle mobilization, for example in the pool or with counter-resistance exercises (weight or manual resistance). They aim to strengthen the muscles and obtain better joint mobilization. The patient is the actor of his healing.

Passive techniques are manual or instrumental. Their main objective is to improve mobility by fighting against stiffness or retractions. They are also used to relieve pain.

Pediatric physiotherapy

Pediatric physiotherapy is mainly concerned with child development, childhood neurological diseases, cardio-respiratory, traumatological or orthopedic pathologies of young patients.
The main areas concerned are:

Respiratory physiotherapy to fight against respiratory congestion during certain acute illnesses (bronchiolitis in infants, for example), chronic respiratory pathologies (cystic fibrosis, asthma) and certain neuromuscular or neurological disorders resulting in a loss of the cough reflex and false roads.
Motor physiotherapy, which is based on re-education and rehabilitation in the event of birth defects, scoliosis or trauma.
Motor physiotherapy specializing in neurological diseases (cerebral or spinal cord malformations, delayed motor acquisition, paralysis, sequelae of meningitis, etc.).
Maintenance motor physiotherapy in the context of chronic pathologies such as ankylosing spondylitis or polyarthritis

Several aspects are specific in case of rehabilitation in paediatrics. Indeed, it is adjusted according to the age of the child. Often, the physiotherapist works in the form of games in order to obtain better cooperation from the child and better adherence to the treatment.

The number of sessions is fixed according to the severity of the pathology or disorder to be treated and whether or not it is progressive. The duration of the sessions is also adapted to the age of the young patient, his fatigue, his illness and his tolerance to treatment. In order to strengthen the motivation of the children, group sessions can be organized.

In the event of a chronic illness, the child's level of understanding of the various treatments is regularly assessed. It is, in fact, essential that the child understands as soon as possible the importance of his sessions on his health and his quality of life when the care is for life.

At the same time, the parents are trained in daily exercises and adapted gestures of everyday life to support the patient outside the practice.

Course of a session

Physiotherapists are health professionals who perform their acts on medical prescription.

Before any manipulation, and based on the doctor's diagnosis, the examination of any x-rays and then his clinical examination, the physiotherapist establishes a physiotherapy diagnosis. It makes it possible to define the objectives and the most appropriate techniques to be implemented according to the needs and characteristics of each patient.

The number of sessions required and the techniques to be implemented are defined by the physiotherapist. At the end of each session, the professional reassesses the needs of his patient, and readjusts, if necessary, the techniques and equipment.

A session lasts on average 20 to 30 minutes, sometimes it can go up to 1 hour.

To know! Social security reimburses 60% of the price of the sessions.