Why Should You Choose Physical Therapy?
7 CommentsHave you been dealing with nagging pain or discomfort that has lingered a bit longer than you expected? Maybe not – perhaps you feel great, but you’ve noticed that your loved one has begun to decline in his or her functional ability. Have no fear; your physical therapist is here!
Here are a few reasons why you should #ChoosePT (physical therapy) as a first treatment option:
Physical therapists can help decrease pain by identifying the underlying problems that sit at the core of injuries. Physical therapists take on the challenge of decreasing inflammation, stiffness and soreness with manual therapies, strengthening interventions/exercises and soft tissue work to aid the body in its healing process.
Physical therapy is effective in relieving pain in chronic conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that even when opioids are prescribed, patients should receive the lowest effective dosage. What’s more, the CDC’s guidelines note that opioids should be combined with nonopioid therapies, such as physical therapy.1
Physical therapists help patients move better. Whether a patient is having difficulty getting in and out of the bed, participating in recreational activities or just simply playing with his or her kids, physical therapy can help get patients back to the daily activities that they enjoy!
Physical therapists develop treatment plans that are individualized based on the patient’s existing needs. This treatment plan is established by the therapist, but it will include the patient’s goals. After all, what good is a treatment plan that is geared toward goals that you aren’t interested in achieving? Physical therapy helps empower patients in taking ownership of their functional ability and gives them the integral means to be successful in that effort.
Schedule a Free Assessment
All of our locations offer free assessments that are performed by a licensed clinician. This assessment helps the therapist guide the patient through their medical options, and includes a detailed subjective report of the patient’s musculoskeletal complaints, movement patterns, strength, range of motion, flexibility and/or joint integrity to identify existing impairments.
If you have been dealing with injuries, pain or discomfort, take the first step in feeling better by choosing physical therapy and scheduling an appointment at your nearest Athletico location today.
The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.
References
1. “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 Mar. 2016, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/rr/rr6501e1.htm.
7 Comments
Derek Dewitt
My wife has been waking up with a lot of pains in her neck and back, but she isn’t sure if she needs a physical therapist or not. I like that you mention how physical therapists can find the underlying problem and decrease pain. Since this keeps happening, finding out the cause of it would be really useful. Thanks for sharing!
Leython Williams, PT, DPT
Derek-
I’m glad you found the information in this article to be useful for you and your wife. What city do you live in? I’d love to connect you with one of our physical therapists in or near your community. Feel free to email me directly at Leython.Williams@athletico.com
Larry Weaver
Thanks for explaining that physical therapy helps to empower patients in taking ownership of their functional ability. After getting in a car collision, I’ve been having trouble moving around like I once was able to do. I think that getting physical therapy is something that I should look more into doing.
Vivian Black
Basically, as your article suggests, physical therapy focuses more on helping your body self-recuperate through manual therapies and strengthening exercises. That sounds like a pretty good kind of therapy for me as I usually get injuries from sports that might be helped by this. I’ll try to read more and understand physical therapy better so that I can maximize its existence. Thanks!
Burt Silver
I like what you said about how physical therapists can help patients move better when they’re having difficulty participating in recreational activities. My wife has a knee injury from when she did karate as a kid. It’s always been hard for us to go on long hikes or anything moderately intensive. We’ll have to get in touch with a physical therapist that could maybe help her with this issue and hopefully improve her condition.
John Smith
I found your blog very useful and I hope your information will help people get health benefits from physical therapies. Thanks for sharing.
Candice Eisenhower
I like how physical therapy can help patients go back to their active lifestyle such as playing sports despite their issues of getting up in their beds. It sure sounds depressing to know that you can no longer do things the way you used to, especially if you were faced with a fatal accident. Knowing that therapies actually work give these people a spark of hope to live and act normally the way they want to. I’ll be sure to share this information with my friend who’s a soccer player and just recently met an accident in his car.