Physical therapy in early management of the burn patient

Abstract

Deep or large burns often cause significant functional sequelae, which appear early and have a major impact on patient’s quality of life. Their occurrence may be reduced by physical therapy. This treatment is a cornerstone in early and multidisciplinary burn care. The physical therapist has to assess respiratory, muscle, and orthopedic functions as well as skin status. His objective is to define the therapeutic strategies using conventional physical therapy techniques. However, such an approach needs to be adapted to the burn patient-related specific features.