New NICE (National Institute for Health & Care Excellence) Guidelines has been published in September 2017.
It states that health professionals, such as physiotherapists, should tell high-risk patients that lifestyle changes could reduce their risk of developing the condition. This includes exercising as well as eating a healthy diet.
Physiotherapists have the knowledge and expertise in advising on exercise that can help to reduce body fat and to improve how the body processes glucose. Through providing personalised exercise programmes, each patient’s programme should be tailor-made.
It might be that your physiotherapist feels you should work on your cardiovascular system, on your upper or lower limb strength, on functional training, on balance, or on your core stability.
Whilst physiotherapists have a role in preventing type 2 diabetes, they are also skilled in managing the complications of diabetes, from managing peripheral neuropathies (altered feeling in the extremities), dealing with a dropped foot with advising on appropriate splints, and problems with mobility.