Physical therapy can provide benefits to individuals of all activity levels and ages. Physical therapists are licensed experts who specialize in helping individuals return to prior levels of function, treating medical conditions, alleviating pain, and reducing the likelihood of future injuries.
Take a look at some of the many reasons you should choose physical therapy!
Physical Therapists are Movement Experts
One of the best reasons you should choose physical therapy is if you’re having difficulty performing everyday activities or struggle with certain movements. Physical therapists are movement experts and specialize in helping individuals alleviate pain, restore function, and improve their ability to perform everyday activities.
Physical therapists can help you get back to pain-free movement and work to improve your overall quality of life. Our PTs will work with you to identify the underlying cause through a comprehensive evaluation. From there, your PT will work with you to treat movement problems, improve function, and restore mobility based on your unique needs and goals.
Patient Empowerment
Physical therapy also helps to empower patients. Each one of our physical therapists strive to make sure that each patient understands their care and treatment is a collaborative effort. Our physical therapists will work closely with you to create open communication where you can discuss your concerns, ask questions about your care, and work with you to be an active participant in your physical therapy treatment.
Reduce the Likelihood of Future Injuries
Physical therapy may also help you reduce the likelihood of future injuries. One of the many potential causes of an injury may be underlying muscular imbalances, improper technique, poor range of motion, and other relevant risk factors. Physical therapists will work with you to identify and address muscular imbalances, work to implement proper techniques when exercising or being active, and work to improve your overall wellness.
Physical therapy can also help individuals avoid worsening existing injuries and can help to facilitate the healing process. If you’ve been dealing with a prior injury, it’s important to make sure that you get it evaluated and properly treated to ensure that it doesn’t become something more serious. Through physical therapy, individuals can work to address underlying health issues or problems and may reduce the likelihood of future injuries from occurring.
Prehabilitation
Visiting a physical therapist and seeking treatment before an upcoming surgery may also help to improve outcomes after surgery. After a recent surgery, the healing process may be extensive and one of the important aspects of the recovery process is to gradually increase activity levels and get back to pre-surgery function.
Individuals who go to physical therapy can undergo a prehabilitation program where they work to improve their strength, range of motion, and function before surgery. In the leadup to an upcoming surgery, prehabilitation may help individuals address underlying issues or concerns to speed up recovery after recent surgery.
Another benefit to attending physical therapy for prehabilitation is that it helps you get an understanding of what recovery might look like after your surgery. Attending physical therapy before your surgery can help to reduce the anxiety and uncertainty around your future recovery if you’ve never attended physical therapy or undergone similar recovery programs in the past.
Optimize Performance
Physical therapy can also help athletes of all ages optimize their performance. There are many things that can go into a successful on-field performance for any athlete, and our licensed and trained physical therapists will work with you to help optimize your athletic performance through a variety of methods. Physical therapy can help athletes improve their range of motion, strengthen important muscle groups, improve balance and coordination, improve flexibility, agility, and power, as well as alleviate any nagging aches and pains.
In addition, physical therapy can help athletes improve their technique when performing certain types of movements to help them optimize their performance and reduce the likelihood of an injury from improper technique or form. Physical therapy can also help athletes in the preseason or offseason as they’re getting ready to ramp up their activity levels and get into shape before the season so they can hit the ground running when training camp starts.
Alleviate Pain
Another reason to choose physical therapy is that it can help you alleviate pain and improve your quality of life. Whether you’re dealing with a recent bout of pain or you’ve had chronic pain for an extended period of time, physical therapy can be an effective treatment option for alleviating pain and getting back to the things you love pain-free.
Maintain an Independent Lifestyle
Your ability to continue participating in all of your favorite activities doesn’t have to stop as you age and your activity levels begin to decrease. By working with a physical therapist, you can gradually increase your activity levels while working to improve function, restore mobility, and address pain that may have sidelined you from your favorite activities. Through physical therapy, you can work to alleviate pain and improve your overall wellness so you can maintain an independent lifestyle.
Schedule an Appointment to See How Physical Therapy Can Help You!
Physical therapy can help you alleviate pain, restore mobility, improve function, and get you back to doing the everyday activities you enjoy most. Schedule an appointment today at a nearby physical therapy clinic to see how physical therapy can help you!
- “Better Sooner and Later: Prehabilitation.” APTA, 1 Feb. 2016, https://www.apta.org/apta-magazine/2016/02/01/better-sooner-and-later-prehabilitation.
- “4 Things to Know About Prehab.” Mass General Brigham, https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/articles/4-things-to-know-about-prehab.