Physiotherapy Vienna

The concept of acupuncture massage follows the methods of manual therapy and traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The aim of acupuncture massage is to balance out the disturbed energy-flow of the human body. Energy is drawn from high-energy and supplied to the low-energy areas. In this respect, scars, healed fractures, metal implants or tattoos may be classed as disturbing for the energy flow. However, dietary habits, climatic factors, the social environment, static problems of the spine and joints as well as emotional or mental aspects can also cause such disturbances. During the treatment, the therapist works on the meridians through massages, or addresses acupuncture points. This requires the use of a metal rod to massage the meridians and acupuncture points.

Following the approaches of traditional Chinese medicine, the acupuncture massage is used to treat several conditions including muscle tension, spine and joint ailments, rheumatic conditions, gastrointestinal ailments, respiratory diseases, gynecological problems, migraines and post-operative scar treatment. In terms of a holistically orientated service offering, the Wiener Privatklinik offers the acupuncture massage at the highest quality level.

Breathing therapy is a generic term for radically different treatments: one is the therapy of breathing, the actual clinical, medical respiration therapy. It deals with the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases and functional disorders of the lungs and vocal apparatus. Its aims are to protect against pneumonia, to loosen and transport mucus and to stabilize the bronchial system, in particular with regard to obstructive diseases such as chronic bronchitis or asthma. Breathing training is also a part of this breathing therapy. This involves various breathing exercises to improve lung capacity. In this respect, the chest muscles are strengthened, amongst others, and techniques for increased abdominal breathing are practiced. The other is therapy with breathing, include breathing therapy as a psychotherapeutic or physio therapeutic procedure. The method assumes that, of all the functions of the human body, breathing is most intensively connected to all other levels of human abilities. Any small stimulus, be it from the outside or inside, changes the way in which we breathe. People can therefore feel totally accomplished, relaxed and harmonized with breathing exercises.

Craniosacral therapy (craniosacral therapy) is a branch of osteopathy. The aim of the treatment is to ensure the freest possible flow of cerebrospinal fluid from the skull to the sacrum. The concept of craniosacral therapy is based on the assumption that the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid occurs in an individual rhythm for every individual, the craniosacral pulse. Disturbances of the craniosacral pulse rate can result, for example, from tension, traumas, surgery or stress. During the craniosacral therapy, the therapist takes a seat next to the head of the reclining patient and touches the cranial bones with slow, rhythmic movements. These are then gently moved against each other. These rhythmic movements are also repeated on the spine. This can result in deep relaxation. The areas of application of this method include diseases of the musculoskeletal system, chronic painful conditions, neurological conditions such as migraines, tension headaches, dizziness and tinnitus, but also depression and anxiety disorders.

Electrotherapy is the generic term for the application of electricity in physical therapy. Electromedicine includes treatments with direct current (galvanization) and alternating current with various frequencies – low-frequency stimulation current therapy, medium frequency and high-frequency therapy. The respective electromagnetic fields produce physical effects in the body such as local heat generation and/or biological effects such as the triggering of action potentials. The effects include pain relief, the improvement of impaired muscle and joint function and an improvement of tissue perfusion.

• The galvanization with direct current is mainly used due to its major analgesic effect, for example, for sciatica, cervicalgia and neuralgia.
• The low-frequency stimulation current therapy serves to stimulate the local nerves and muscles.
• A special form is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which can be applied for a wide range of conditions such as tumor pains, chronic degenerative spinal disorders, radicular compression symptoms and phantom pain after paraplegia or amputation.
• The medium frequency therapy is used for muscle stimulation for peripheral neuropathies, primary myopathies and periarthropathies.

High-frequency procedures produce an exclusively local heating effect, depending on the procedure, in different layers of tissue with a broad range of potential applications for arthroses, chronic polyarthritis, myotendinous and periosteal irritation. Electrotherapy is usually used as a supplementary therapy in a broader framework of physio therapeutic and medicinal treatments. Many electrotherapy applications are followed by physio therapeutic after-treatment, massage or muscle stretching.

The foot reflexology massage is based on the idea that reflex zones in the body “mirror” internal organs and muscle groups on the skin. Such reflex zones are identified on the back, the foot, the hand, the ear, the nose and the skull. According to the basic assumption of reflexology, these zones can be used to treat various ailments such as vascular disorders. The principle of the foot reflexology massage can be found in the Ayurveda massage tradition as well as the Thai massage and the Chinese Tuina massage. The movement and pressure techniques of modern reflexology were developed in the USA in the middle of the 20th century. They are now standard tools for alternative practitioners, physiotherapists and massage therapists. With regard to the treatment, pressure sensitive zones are stimulated mechanically or by low-level laser therapy, color projectors, etc. The most important principle of reflexology is the harmonization of the whole body. Tired zones are treated firmly and intensively and overexcited zones under high tension are treated softly and gently. The application areas of foot reflexology therapy are broad-ranging. The procedure is used for migraines, hay fever, menstrual pain, digestive disorders, asthma, rheumatism or for the after-treatment of hearing loss, among other things.

Remedial exercises or gymnastics is a medically prescribed treatment with the aim of maintaining or restoring a patient’s physical or mental mobility and functionality if it has been impaired by illness, accident, congenital disorder or incorrect posture in everyday life. Remedial exercises can eliminate pain, restore healthy movement or train substitute functions, balance unbalanced muscle power proportions and promote physiological development for children. With regard to assisting with self-help, it provides patients with a tool, which they can use to actively and independently continue and promote their healing process, and prevent new problems. The ancient principle that nature has its own healing power is reflected in modern exercise therapy, which aims to arouse and stimulate the self-healing power of the body. The aim of remedial gymnastics depends on the age and general condition of the patient, their individual everyday requirements and the clinical picture and course. Exercise therapy has a remarkably broad area of application at the Wiener Privatklinik. The most common applications can be found in conservative and operative orthopedics, sports medicine, neurology (especially rehabilitation following strokes), in pain therapy and gynecology (e.g. during pregnancy), but increasingly in internal medicine for the treatment of functional disorders of the respiratory system, vascular system and the cardiovascular system, and also in the treatment of psychosomatic disorders and in preventive medicine to prevent diseases, functional impairments and risk factors.

The massage is one of the oldest remedies of humankind. The remedial massage treats skin, connective tissue and muscles through stretching, tension and pressure stimuli. The effect of the remedial massage extends from the treated area over the whole body and involves the psyche. The indications for remedial massage include painful muscle tension, hardening, diseases of the musculoskeletal system such as spinal syndrome, pain after injury or surgery, but also digestive disorders, scar treatments and even mental problems such as depression. A further area of application of the massage is the treatment of parses, spasms, neuralgia and sensory disturbances in the service of neurology. Other areas include stress-related psychosomatic symptoms, which are essentially related to the heart and blood circulation. The range of effects on the body is as large as the range of treatment theories and the corresponding massage techniques: The massage leads, among other things, to increased local blood circulation, it lowers blood pressure and pulse rate, it not only relaxes the muscles, skin and connective tissue, but also the psyche, reduces adhesion and scar tissue, improves wound healing, relieves pain, reduces stress, and stimulates metabolism in the tissue. The classical massage techniques are based on five movements:

• Stroking: It is the softest and most relaxing massage movement.
• Kneading: In this respect, the skin and muscles are kneaded either between the thumbs, index and the middle finger or with the whole hand/both hands. The massage therapist uses this movement to relieve tension. It works on the muscles and the subcutaneous connective tissue and improves blood circulation.
• Rubbing: The fingertips or balls of the thumbs make small, circular movements on the muscle to relieve tension and loosen hardened muscles.
• Tapping with the side of the hand, flat hand or fingers. It stimulates peripheral circulation, changes the muscle tone and affects internal organs, such as the lungs.
• Vibration: The therapist creates vibration with the fingertips or the flat hand. This movement loosens the deeper layers of tissue and organs and thus it has a cramp releasing effect, among other things. In terms of a holistically orientated service offering, the Wiener Privatklinik offers the remedial massage at the highest quality level in a range of methods, which extends from the classical remedial massage to lymphatic drainage, foot reflexology massage, acupuncture massage and to earlier methods such as Shiatsu.

Cryotherapy is known from television: The injured footballer who was lying motionless on the pitch and then chases another goal without any visible pain clearly demonstrates the effect of cold treatment (in this case, in the form of a cooling spray). There is a large range of cold therapies: There is a large number of procedures, which lead to local or generalized cooling, to treat acute or chronic painful conditions. A distinction is made in cryotherapy depending on the temperature applied between extreme cold, e.g. cooling gel packs from −18°C or ice spray (Chloroethyl), and mild cold, e.g. wrapping with towels soaked in ice water. Cold therapy includes local applications in the form of ice packs or cooling gel and full-body cold treatments which act on the body for one to two minutes at approx. −110°C. Cold treatments can lead to improved blood circulation, pain relief and they have a decongestant effect. Most applications are limited to 10-15 minutes to prevent hypothermia and cold injuries

Manual lymphatic drainage treats venous or lymphatic congestion, often in combination with other physical therapies such as decongestion exercises and bandaging. The treatment promotes the removal of fluid via the lymphatic vessels and the venous system and it is used for swelling after injuries or operations, lymphatic edemas, swelling in joint regions and diseases of the rheumatic spectrum. With regard to manual lymphatic drainage, the therapist uses different movement techniques to loosen tissue on the one hand, and to stimulate the transport activity of the lymph nodes on the other hand. The lymphatic drainage normally takes place in two phases:

• The treatment is carried out daily in the decongestion phase. The duration of this decongestion phase depends on the severity of the congestion and can take up to three weeks.
• A compression stocking is fitted at the end of this period to ensure the success of the lymphatic drainage. A regular series of manual lymphatic drainages with compression therapy will maintain and improve the therapy results in the long term.

Manual therapy deals with the diagnosis and treatment of functional disorders with regard to the musculoskeletal system: It treats disorders or blockages of the spine, joints, muscles and nerves, which are the result of disturbed movements within a joint and can cause several conditions throughout the whole body. Manual therapy eliminates such disorders through targeted movements. In addition to pain relief and the improvement of health concerns, the focus of manual therapy is the restoration of the mobility of joints, which are functionally impaired, but are still intact in principle. At the beginning of the therapy, the spine and joints are manually palpated and mobility and reflexes are tested. If there is a blockage, it can be treated with chiropractic therapy under certain circumstances. With regard to the actual treatment, manipulative and mobilizing methods are available. The mobilizing measures include e.g. slow, gentle stretching movements, which are usually repeated. Regarding manipulative treatments, the therapist makes fast and powerful movements on the limbs to be treated

This form of therapy is an equipment-aided form of training, which improves the general and special performance and capacity of the human body. Medical training therapy is indicated, for example, for chronic fatigue syndrome, vascular diseases such as arterial hypertension, a chronic spinal syndrome and to build up muscle in connection with rehabilitation measures after orthopedic or trauma surgery. Balance, coordination and posture, strength, flexibility, speed or endurance are trained depending on the type of training. The treatment is divided into four phases. Phase 1 is mobilization training, phase 2 is stabilization training, followed by functional training and weight-bearing (resistance) training

Mud baths are full or partial baths in peat mixed with water. On the one hand, its effect is due to the fact that the peat keeps the heat for a long time and it transfers the heat to the body in a bath considerably slower than water. Mud baths are therefore used as so-called overheating baths: A 20 minute mud bath with a temperature up to 46 degrees is not felt as unpleasantly hot and allows the body temperature to increase by two degrees, an artificially generated fever so to speak. Mud treatments have a positive influence on the immune system and metabolism due to this warming up of the core body temperature. Furthermore, the heat relaxes the muscles and the nervous system. On the other hand, peat also contains anti- inflammatory substances. Mud treatments are recommended for arthrosis, osteoporosis, rheumatism, Bekhterev disease, gynecological diseases and menopausal complaints

The nervous system can also be treated with manual methods:
Neural mobilization is a manual medicine technique for treating annoying pains such as sciatic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, pains when moving the spine, extending the leg or arm, sensory disturbances and tingling sensations. Such restrictions can occur, as nerve tissue is much less elastic and flexible than muscles. Nerves must therefore be able to slide up to 10 cm between other tissues when moving our arms and legs, but also the spine. If this sliding movement is impaired due to external constriction, or if the nerve is damaged inside, severe pain can occur. Tests can determine whether the external sliding ability or the internal elasticity of the nerves is impaired prior to the actual neural mobilization. With regard to the exercises for neural mobilization, the affected nerve is stretched painlessly and then relaxed by bending the corresponding joints. The nerve is shifted against padding or structures by repeating small movements of the affected joint until slight stretching pain occurs.

Physiotherapy is an integral part of modern medicine. Many treatment successes are based on physiotherapy. Application is possible at every stage of life. It is often more effective and less risky than medicinal therapies. Physiotherapy, sometimes referred to as physical therapy, is based on the knowledge that targeted, professionally positioned stimuli such as movement, pressure and tension, heating, cooling, light and electricity activate the body’s own healing potential. Physiotherapy is used in rehabilitation to initiate, intensify and accelerate healing processes. Beyond rehabilitation after surgery, accidents or illness, it can also correct incorrect posture with regard to everyday complaints, balance unbalanced muscle power proportions, restore impaired processes in the body, relieve or remove inflammatory processes and support patients to actively and independently work on their recovery. Physiotherapy at the Wiener Privatklinik begins with the determination of the functional, movement and activity limitations of the individual patient as part of a physiotherapeutic examination. The treatment combines the expertise of excellent physicians with the high pedagogical and manual competences of our physiotherapists. On the one hand, physical therapy causes natural, physiological reactions of the body such as motor learning, muscle building and metabolism stimulation. On the other hand, it provides the patients with an improved understanding for the functioning of their own bodies and motivates them to treat their own bodies responsibly. The aim is always the restoration, maintenance or promotion of good health combined with the freedom from pain or reduction of pain. With regard to physiotherapy, the treatments are carried out by highly-qualified physiotherapists at the Wiener Privatklinik. The treatment is adapted individually to the anatomical and physiological requirements of the patients, to their personality and motivation. In this respect, there is a wide range of available methods: In addition to the classical remedial exercises/remedial gymnastics, for example, breathing therapy, cranio-sacral therapy, manual therapy, medical training therapy and neural mobilization can be used, supplemented by physical stimuli such as heating, cooling, pressure, radiation or electricity.

Shiatsu is the Japanese word for finger pressure. Shiatsu is the name of a body therapy developed in Japan, which was developed from the traditional Chinese massage and which combines energetic body work with manual treatment methods to achieve wellbeing. Although “Shiatsu” simply means “finger pressure”, the therapist uses his or her whole body for the treatment. In this respect, body weight becomes more effective than muscle power. In contrast to acupuncture and acupressure, it is not only individual points on the body that are stimulated. Shiatsu is rather based on traditional East Asian concepts such as the meridian system, which originated from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and the system of “five phases” (Five Elements theory) and aims to treat the meridians. Shiatsu is usually practiced on a mat or a special futon on the floor. The hands (fingers and balls of the thumbs) are used in the treatment, but also the elbows and knees. In addition to gentle rhythmic movements, deeper movements are also used as well as stretching and rotation. The therapist primarily works from the center of the body outwards and they should create an “energetic relationship” with the patient during the treatment.

The term thermotherapy is used to summaries all types of treatment, which are based on the application of heat. Thermotherapy has a wide range, which extends from simple local red-light heat application within physiotherapy through to selective cell destruction by means of ultrasound for the treatment of tumors. The term also generally covers cold therapies. The simplest and most original form of thermotherapy is the hot roll: Towels soaked in hot water are rolled up and applied to painful body regions to cool down. The damp heat has an analgesic effect and a relaxing effect on painfully tensed muscles. This form of heat therapy is used to treat a wide range of painful conditions, especially those caused by degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Examples include arthroses of the large and small joints and degenerative spinal disorders. Painful muscle tension can also be treated with heat therapy. The heat treatment should be immediately followed by targeted physiotherapeutic after-treatment with movement exercises or massages to utilize the analgesic and relaxing effects. In terms of a holistically orientated service offering, the Wiener Privatklinik offers thermotherapy at the highest quality level. You can obtain more detailed information on osteopathic medicine; physical therapy from our telephone info-line or by email. All contact details can be found on our Contact page.