Question

Give a clinical example of why it is important for physical therapists to know about endocrine physiology. Provide a clinical situation where your knowledge of endocrine physiology would be of assistance to you and/or your patient.

Answer 1

Ans: Endocrine system is a very imporyant system of the body and it main function is to organize and integrate the cellular activity in the body and regulating the cellular and the organ functioning in the body routeinly. Endocrine system not only maintains the harmomal balance of the body but it also regulates homeostasis, calcium and phosphate balance for maintaining the extracellular fluids, regulates the sodium concentraction for regulating the blood pressure and certain aspacets of growth and reproduction in the body.

Physical therapy: It that branch of medical science which called as the rehabilitative health which improves the physical abilities of the patient. And the physical therapist is the medically trained and licensed medical person. The role of the physical therapist is to examine and diagnose the abnormalities in the patient and to rectify these defects to restore the normal activity and proper functioning of the body part.

Whenever we perform any kind of excersise we are actually putting or applying the stress on our body which in turn stimulates different glands of the endocrine system for the realese of certain chemical and harmones which helps in controlling the proper functioning of the body.

For example exercise like seated forward bending pose directly stimulates the pancreas. As pancreas produces insulin which regulates the blood glucose level in the body. Similarly, certain exercise stimulates the pituitary gland which in turn resales HGH, human growth hormones and stimulate body for the growth and development of bones, muscles and tissues.

Also, certain low impact aerobics can stimulates thyroid gland which is located at the base of neck which in turn regulates heart rate, blood pressure and the body temperature.

Thus by knowing the endocrine physiology, a physical therapist can help a lot in maintaining our body healthy and in good posture.