Relieving pain without medications at VARDAN – An honest review

When I received an invite to experience the facility of VARDAN in Delhi, I was a bit sceptical as well as inquisitive. Let me tell you the reason. Firstly, I have my own apprehensions trying anything related to health and secondly, I had never heard about VARDAN!

This blog has been a sacred space to document my experiences and musings. Be it related to health or social initiative or travel, I only document what I have experienced and present an honest review about it and I am sure the regular readers can vouch for this.

I googled and researched on VARDAN extensively and agreed to visit their centre in Delhi, only when I was confident that they may put an end to my terminal pain that was hampering my daily routine for years now. Documenting the same would be a help to the many who are experiencing dysfunctions and pain due to Ortho, neurological and sports-related pain and dysfunctions.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post though it was intended to be one in the beginning. I am undergoing therapy sessions at VARDAN and have found the treatment effective till now. I thought this may help many of the readers and thus have written about it. The results of the treatment may vary from person to person. So, please use your own discretion in utilizing FMT and other services at VARDAN.

A little about VARDAN

VARDAN is a welfare initiative of The Times Group that brings world-class Functional Manual Therapy® (FMT™) to India. FMT is a system of physical therapy which offers highly skilled hands-on treatment for orthopaedic, neurological, and sports-related dysfunctions from a whole-body perspective and optimum potential goal.

Know about FMT:

Functional Manual Therapy® (FMT™) is an integrated approach to assess and treat physical dysfunctions in the body which may or may not be causing active pain. After assessing a patient’s history and completing observation FM therapist performs simple physical tests which help them to recognize where the dysfunction is originating from and treat them and empower the patient with knowledge about exercises, posture & sometimes diet to ensure that the dysfunction does not relapse.

Who may benefit from FMT?

FMT addresses problems – from a reduction of pain (chronic, post-surgery, or due to trauma), to an enhancement of performance for those who seek to relieve pain due to wrong postures, run faster, have a more powerful golf swing, or football kick or get better results from their gym work. Remember that FMT works wonders, as simple as relieving a recurring headache, too!

Wondering, how FMT is different from Physiotherapy? Well, read on….

FMT is different from a normal Physiotherapy session as in FMT the therapists work towards finding the cause of the dysfunction and base the treatment on treating that cause rather than focusing on the area where the patient is complaining of the problem.

For e.g.

If a patient complains of wrist pain, it is not necessary that the problem lies within the wrist itself, a compressed nerve in the neck area could be the cause of the pain. A regular physiotherapist, most of the times will focus on reducing wrist pain without necessarily treating the neck. A patient may experience a short relief from pain but there are chances that the pain will recur because he/she has not addressed the core problem. However, an FM therapist treats both the regions-i.e., The wrist as well as the neck and prescribes exercises and imparts postural advice.

Different stages of Therapy

 Treatment strategies involve 3 main components which are blended according to patient needs.

• Manual treatment involves mobilization of various tissues like skin, fascia, muscle, nerve, visceral organs, joints etc. so that their restrictions don’t block or restrict the movements needed for daily activities.
• Then, the newly acquired range is embedded in the brain by using principles of neuromuscular facilitation. Along with this, specific exercises are given as a part of the home program to maintain the benefits gained in the session.
• Recurrence of symptoms is best avoided by working on habitual postures and habits that led to the dysfunction in the first place. This is taken care by education of the patient by the therapist on sleeping, sitting, standing postures and by enhancing strategic movements that use the core muscles and hence prevent further injuries.

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Relieving pain without medications – The treatment that I underwent

I have had a recurring pain in my feet – post-walks, exercise regime and long treks followed by bouts of a severe headache, for the last couple of years. I attributed it to the low-BP owing to altitudinal differences while I was in Himachal and periodic climate change. Also, I resigned my fate thinking this is a terminal condition that cannot be rectified.

I visited VARDAN with the same complaints and I am happy to inform that I have seen a tremendous improvement in my condition. I can walk faster, my gait has changed for the better and I have had absolutely no head or neck aches for the last 20-25 days and hey, I am able to blog regularly too!

All this, while I still have three to four more sessions to go…..

The USP of VARDAN

Apart from the highly experienced therapists, state-of-art-facility and infrastructure, VARDAN provides a special Anti-Gravity Treadmill for people who cannot use the routine treadmill equipment owing to their medical and physical conditions.

 About Alter-G 

The Anti-Gravity Treadmill can be used for patients looking to regain mobility, develop strength and fitness, and increase a range of motion and natural movement – all while minimizing stress on injuries.  The Alter G® Anti-Gravity Treadmill® enhances therapist’s ability to help patients recover faster.

• Allows patients to rehabilitate with less pain while reducing the risk of further injury, which may enable patients to heal faster.
• Provides physical therapists with a precise way to track patient progress, keeping patients engaged and motivated during rehab.

It can be used for:

• Physical therapy following an injury or surgery on a lower extremity (hip, knee, ankle or foot)
• Rehab after total joint replacement
• Gait training and strengthening for neurological patients
• Strengthening and conditioning in a fall-safe environment for older patients
• Weight-loss programs
• Injury prevention during sport specific conditioning and fitness improvement programs

Am I happy with VARDAN…??

Well, I am definitely happy with this initiative of TIMES Group because of the way I was treated, the customer service, the rectification of my problem and their spot-less premises.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The cost per session may be a bit on the higher side making it out of reach of the middle class. However, it is value for money when we consider the pain one has to endure or the cost of surgery one has to undergo to seek relief from a condition that may hamper the everyday functioning of the body.

I am sure a person who opts for VARDAN to get relief from their condition will not be disappointed.

I wish, they open many more centres apart from the one in Delhi and cater to the masses and help them in relieving pain without medications. This would certainly prove to be a boon or VARDAN to many teachers, IT professionals, budget travellers and trekkers who are at a higher risk of experiencing the repercussions of the wrong posture, as well as wear and tear on the muscles and joints, as it did in my case!

You may like to visit their website www.vardan.in for further details.

Also, if you have any queries regarding the treatment I underwent and about relieving pain without medication, please drop in your questions in the Comment box. I shall be more than glad to assist you.