A physical therapy program personalized to your specific and individualized needs will make a major difference in how you feel about yourself and the care you choose to provide for your body. Using a strategic combination of therapeutic exercises, physical therapy equipments, techniques, and lifestyle changes, you’ll make significant and positive improvements towards your recovery. The chronic pains or injuries you’re dealing with, be they newly developed or old, persistent pains, can also be treated with dietary and lifestyle changes. For guidance on therapeutic movements and integrating lifestyle changes, consider physical therapy. Here are the top benefits it provides:
1. A Myriad of Treatments: Physical Therapy in a Nutshell
Common knowledge about physical therapy is limited and barely touches the surface of the many conditions it can treat. Aside from bodily pains and chronic pain, physical therapy can help people recover from sports injuries, cancer, and issues associated with women’s health, including pregnancy and postpartum pain.
Physical therapy can also treat men’s issues such as male pelvic pain. Special conditions like constipation, urinary incontinence, breast cancer, lymphedema, and fibromyalgia are some of the other conditions aided by physical therapists. There are even physical therapy orange county specialists who offer spinal restoration and TMJ treatment in addition to standard services like those aforementioned.
2. Pain Management or Reduction
The exercises and techniques introduced during physical therapy help alleviate pain and discomfort. They also restore functionality to joints and muscles that have been worn or injured in some way. Continual physical therapy sessions can also keep your pain from returning, virtually eliminating any potential need for surgery. Ongoing physical therapy can also prevent the need for addictive painkillers to be a part of your pain management routine. If medication is included, it will likely be orthopedic, eliminating the risks associated with opioids and other addictive painkillers. Who wouldn’t want a fast and efficient, prescription-free way to heal themselves?
3. Strong Mobility Improvements
Physical therapy has a tremendously positive effect on mobility. No matter your age, your issues with walking, moving, and standing can be resolved through special stretching and strengthening exercises. Additional tools like canes, assistive devices, and orthopedic medication can also be tailored to the individual with a physical therapist’s help.
4. Organic Approaches to Treatment
Physical therapists strive to include natural treatment options whenever possible. A common approach to soothing injuries is to apply moist heat to the body. Using heat makes it possible for the body to create more circulation, which, in turn, will extend to injured areas and relax those muscles to provide relief from any of these targeted pains. Heat can be applied through hot packs wrapped in terry cloth. Hot packs are gentle enough to be applied over open wounds. Those with multiple sclerosis and any others sensitive to heat will also benefit from hot packs in therapy, as they offer a soft approach to heat application.
Kinesiology taping with “k-tape” is another method that physical therapists use to facilitate pain relief and muscle restoration. The tape is applied to the skin for a few days and then removed once the body has adjusted. K-tape methods can also aid in the reduction of bruising and swelling.
Whirlpool baths are another natural approach by using water to treat the injured areas. The motion generated by the motor allows the water to have a soothing impact on the body. The patient can also practice stretching exercises that were taught by their physical therapist while taking a whirlpool bath to further assist with pain management and reduction. If you’re an athlete, you have so much more than the option of ice baths to heal your injuries. Make an appointment and schedule your soak.
5. Assists in the Treatment of Neurological and Pediatric Conditions
Physical therapy also assists in the treatment of many neurological and pediatric conditions. When it comes to significant neurological and physical issues like stroke and muscular dystrophy, physical therapists can apply evidence-based techniques to reduce the physical and mental distress experienced by the patient. Various physical therapy techniques can also help traumatic brain injuries and other severe conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
6. Helps A Diverse Range of People and Ages
Physical therapists are specialists in the diagnosing and treatment of physical abnormalities. Almost everyone experiences some degree of substantial physical discomfort in their lives; therefore, anyone can benefit from the help of a physical therapist. It can be considered as a form of assisted yoga or stretching, depending on the severity of the pain. Some people believe that physical therapy is just for those who have been seriously injured or the elderly. This could not be farther from the truth! Whether you need help with mobility or have persistent back pain, physical therapy can help anyone and everyone with physical pain challenges.
7. Overlooked Benefits Involved
Physical therapy can also assist with everyday pains developed from sleeping on bad mattresses, typing repeatedly, and participating in high-intensity sports. Younger individuals do not think to seek help from a physical therapist before reaching out to their primary, but we hope this article encourages you to reconsider. When it comes to physical pain, you more than likely need the help of a specialist.
Physical therapists are trained to address these issues as organically and as effectively as possible. Medications are not always the best option, and the need for braces and other tools are not always necessary to achieve recovery. Sometimes, all you need is an excellent physical therapist to get you back to yourself.
We hope you understand just how versatile physical therapy can be in the treatment and reduction of stubborn pain. Don’t let any misconceptions prevent you from seeking the help you need to improve your physical state. There is a lot to be said about choosing time and specialized exercise over pain pills and the decision to grin and bear it. As part of your overall commitment to wellness, choose to see physical therapy as a vital option for treating your pain.