6 Benefits of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a well-documented solution for injury, pain, and physical decline. People of all ages undertake physical therapy for a variety of physical issues to accelerate their healing and improve their quality of life.
When Do You Need Physical Therapy?
- Are you having trouble moving or you are experiencing pain? If yes, physical therapy is an important tool for recovery.
- Do you need help functioning more fully or want to prevent disability? If yes, physical therapy is a research-based solution that can get you back on the move.
General symptoms that physical therapy targets include aching and stiffness, burning sensations in the muscles, fatigue, muscle twitches, pain that worsens with movement, muscle weakness and sleep disturbances.
By protecting you from further injury and improving musculoskeletal strength, mobility and fitness, physical therapy can help restore your movement and functionality.
6 Benefits of Starting Physical Therapy Now
- Physical Therapy Stops Pain
One of the most important benefits of physical therapy is the reduction or complete elimination of your pain. By using therapeutic exercises and manual therapy techniques specific to your needs, physical therapy can fast track the healing process without risking further injury.
Physical therapy can also help keep future pain at bay by mobilizing your joints and soft tissues, taping and perhaps stimulating an area electrically.
Common physical therapy interventions include cupping to decrease frozen muscles, electrical stimulation to reduce pain, endurance training with gym equipment, gait training, kinesiotaping for muscle activation, massage, soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilization, metals tools that loosen tight muscles or break down scar tissue, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, static and dynamic balance training and thermal therapy for pain, stiffness, and inflammation.
Your physical therapist will also teach you safe ways to move your body to support your recovery outside of physical therapy.
- Physical Therapy Restores Mobility
It is common to lose some degree of movement and physical function after an injury (like a stress fracture), a surgery (like a knee replacement), or a medical event (such a stroke).
Physical therapy uses research-based maneuvers and assistive devices to strengthen weakened areas of the body while easing the strain caused by movement and protecting soft tissues and joints. Progressive no-impact strength-building exercise will often focus on the core (including abs), legs (including squats), glutes and back muscles.
The recovery of your mobility will help you get back to your life faster, and physical therapy will also protect you from progressive decline, as when someone with a slight balance difficulty encounters an unexpected curb and fractures a hip.
- Physical Therapy Improves Balance and Prevents Falls
When you begin physical therapy treatment with a physical therapist, balance and gait issues may be indicated by difficulty walking, trouble getting up from a seated position or difficulty leaning down to put on your shoes.
If your initial assessment puts you at high risk for a fall, your physical therapist will take you through proven physical therapy exercises that safely challenge and hone your balance, improve your coordination and help alleviate symptoms.
Balance exercises that strengthen the muscles in your core and legs may include standing on one leg and raising the other to the front, side and back, walking an imaginary tight rope heal to toe, standing from a seated position without using your hands, knee lifts while walking, practicing tai chi or yoga or standing on a Bosu half-circle stability ball or balance board.
Your exercises may also include incorporating assistive devices at home, so you can maintain your independence without further injury.
- Physical Therapy Can Prevent the Need for Surgery
If you have muscle damage that responds well to physical therapy, it can omit the need for surgery. While appendicitis and mitral-valve heart disease do not fall into this category, studies show that physical therapy can actually be as effective as surgery in providing pain relief for particular conditions, such as spinal stenosis in the lower back, degenerative disk disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, meniscal tears and knee osteoarthritis.
If you are anticipating an unavoidable surgical intervention, an investment in physical therapy before the surgery can also speed post-surgical healing.
- Physical Therapy Can Help You Manage Diabetes and Vascular Conditions
Along with medication and diet, starting a safe, effective physical therapy exercise program can help you lower blood sugar levels, improve your movement and reduce your pain. If you are facing the difficulties of diabetic neuropathy or metabolic syndrome, physical therapy can help you experience safe exercise that accounts for a reduced capacity to feel the extremities or balance difficulties.
Supervised low-impact and no-impact workouts are important benefits of physical therapy. Such workouts may not be safe to undertake at home.
Physical therapy will give you a safe environment for exercise and a customized program, specific to your fitness levels and health to work on your balance, muscle strength and conditioning. Adjunct treatments like massage, anodyne and aquatic therapies can also help with neuropathy and secondary arthritis.
- Physical Therapy Can Make Big Impacts Fast
Depending on the condition being treated, a typical schedule of physical therapy visits may include 2-3 treatments weekly for at least a month. More serious conditions, such as following a surgery, may require 3-6 months of physical therapy.
Many people find the number of times they can visit is constrained by their health insurance provider. Whatever visit schedule you choose, you can be sure the benefits you get from physical therapy will be worth your time and resources.
Select Med1Care for Your Physical Therapy Needs
If you need physical therapy, our experienced physical therapists can help you improve your mobility, decrease your pain and regain your quality of life.
We will partner with your physician to help you build a unique treatment plan to restore your movement and function with specialized exercises and education on low impact ways to manage daily living, relieve pain, improve mobility, prevent disability, strengthen the musculature, and improve balance.
Call us at 419.866.0555 to schedule a consultation.
Our specialists will help you chart a course forward.
