[Status of physical therapy in the treatment strategy of internal diseases]

The use of physiotherapy as traditionally successful form of therapy is not in the least satisfying in practice. The reasons for this are explained. Issuing from a general assessment of the therapy in the system medical care, principal aspects for an interdisciplinary therapy are demonstrated. Essential for a scientifically proved use of physiotherapy is the differentiation between general and specific aspects in the pathologic process made in the general nosology. The effects of the physiotherapy are shown and its significance as basis therapy is emphasized. Apart from the knowledge of the individual physiotherapeutic remedies, the use of the physiotherapy has as its prerequisite a valuation of the pathogenetic factors and actual additional conditions. Corresponding to the therapeutic aim, the physiotherapy should be conceived either as monotherapy or as a long-term, frequently multi-dimensional therapeutic programme. Essential errors in practice are the technically insufficient and inconsequent use of the treatment capacities. With the help of the recommendations for the use of the physiotherapy in the essential hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis ways are indicated how the potencies of the specialty are to be realised better than hitherto done in chronic diseases.