Dr Sonia Gupta
soniaguptapt@gmail.com
In households across the world, pain has quietly become part of daily routine. A stiff neck after cooking, back pain after cleaning, knee pain while climbing stairs, or shoulder discomfort while lifting water buckets-these problems are so common that they are often ignored. For many women and homemakers, pain is accepted as a normal consequence of responsibility. Unfortunately, this silent acceptance leads to long-term damage.
Pain is not normal. Pain is the body’s warning signal.
Physiotherapy is the science that listens to this signal. Contrary to popular belief, physiotherapy is not limited to hospitals, sports injuries, or post-surgery care. It is a preventive, corrective, and rehabilitative approach that begins at home, continues through daily habits, and protects people from lifelong disability.
Why Women Suffer More?
Homemakers are among the most physically active yet least acknowledged workers in society. Their work involves continuous standing, repetitive bending, lifting, squatting, reaching overhead, and multitasking without scheduled rest. Unlike office jobs, household work has no fixed working hours.
Over the years, this results in chronic neck and back pain, shoulder stiffness and rotator cuff injuries, knee pain and early arthritis, weak core muscles, fatigue, disturbed sleep, and emotional stress.
Despite these symptoms, women often delay seeking help, believing pain is part of aging or duty. This delay converts simple, treatable conditions into chronic problems.
Physiotherapy emphasizes early care, awareness, and prevention.
The Root Cause
Most musculoskeletal problems do not start suddenly. They develop slowly due to repeated poor posture and faulty movements.
Common examples include bending forward while cooking for long hours, washing utensils or clothes in a stooped position, sitting on the floor without back support, carrying children or heavy loads on one side, and excessive mobile phone use with a bent neck. Each incorrect movement adds stress to the joints and muscles resulting in pain.
Simple posture corrections include keeping kitchen platforms at waist level, sitting on a stool while washing utensils, bringing mobile phones to eye level, using back support while sitting, and changing posture every 20-30 minutes.
Movement Is Medicine, Not Rest
One of the biggest myths is that pain means complete rest. In reality, prolonged rest leads to muscle weakness, joint stiffness, and slower recovery. The human body is designed for movement.
Light walking, stretching, and active household work-when done correctly-are beneficial. Elderly individuals should avoid sitting or lying down for long periods, as inactivity accelerates joint degeneration.
Home-Based Physiotherapy Exercises
You do not need machines or gyms to protect your body. Just 10-15 minutes daily can make a major difference.
Stretching exercises for flexibility: include
Neck movements : Forward, backward and side bending ( 5 times each)
Shoulder rolls (Backward and forward)
* Upper and lower back stretches and
* Calf and thigh stretches ( essential for people standing for hours)
Strengthening exercises without equipment include wall push-ups, chair squats, abdominal tightening exercises, and pelvic tilting exercises.
Strong muscles protect joints and delay age related degeneration.
Correct Lifting
Daily lifting is one of the main causes of back injury in homemakers as we noticed in our OPD. Always bend the knees, not the back. Keep objects close to the body, avoid twisting and jerks while lifting, and distribute weight evenly. Correct lifting protects the spine and shoulders from injury.
Heat and Cold Therapy at Home
Warm compress helps muscle stiffness and chronic pain.
* Cold packs reduce swelling and sudden injuries
* Always use packs wrapped in cloth for 10-15 minutes.
Healing While You Rest
Use a firm mattress, sleep on your side with a pillow between knees if needed, avoid sleeping on the stomach, and use a pillow that supports the neck.
As quality sleep helps the muscles to heal naturally.
Mental Health and Physical Pain
Stress, anxiety, and emotional overload increase muscle tension and pain perception. Deep breathing, short personal breaks, and sharing feelings openly help reduce pain.
When Home Care Is Not Enough
Consult a physiotherapist if
* pain lasts more than 7-10 days,
* increases despite home care, involves numbness or weakness
* pain increases despite home remedies
* daily activities become difficult.
A Message for Every Home maker
Physiotherapy is not a luxury-it is a necessity for healthy living. Pain should never be normalized, especially among women and homemakers. Awareness , correct posture, regular movement and timely physiotherapy can prevent lifelong disability as early physiotherapy prevents surgery, reduces medicine dependance and restores quality of life.
Healthy movement today ensures independence, confidence and well-being tomorrow.
The post Physiotherapy for silent suffering in homes appeared first on Daily Excelsior.