Physical Therapy Can Help Improve Your Health and Wellness!
Have you ever heard about the benefits of physical therapy? It’s a natural and safe method of pain management that is quickly sweeping across the nation, and you could benefit from it!
Physical therapy improves the physical health of people who have injuries, illnesses, and medical conditions. An individualized physical therapy program is a conservative approach to managing these types of problems.
But it doesn’t do just that – it also improves overall health and wellbeing! If you’re wondering how physical therapy could change your life for the better, contact Lake County Physical Therapy today to learn more. We’d be happy to give you information and/or set up an appointment for you!
6 benefits of seeing a physical therapist
There are tons of benefits to seeing a physical therapist, but our clinic has put together 6 of the major ones we’d like you to be aware of before turning to surgery or medication to quell any pain symptoms you may be feeling!
Possibility of avoiding surgery
When physical therapy works to heal and reduce pain, the need for surgery is greatly decreased. “For some conditions, including meniscal tears and knee osteoarthritis, treatment by a PT has been found to be as effective as surgery.”
Help with age-related conditions
Osteoporosis and arthritis are more likely to occur as people age. A physical therapist is a skilled professional who assists patients in recovering from and managing age-related health issues such as osteoporosis and arthritis.
Mobility improvement
Physical therapy promotes mobility through both passive and active therapies. Muscles are strengthened, and flexibility improves dramatically. This allows you to participate in activities while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Decreased risk of heart and lung disease
Cardiovascular rehabilitation includes physical treatment. A physical therapist can help you improve your health and quality of life by teaching you breathing, strengthening, and conditioning exercises. Physical therapy can also aid in the removal of fluid from the lungs.
Fall prevention and balance rehab
With physical therapy, a physical therapist will screen your risk for falling. Exercises will be given to improve your balance in real-life situations. Assistive devices will be given to ensure safe walking. And if you have a problem with your vestibular system, a physical therapist will perform specific methods to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of vertigo and dizziness.
Pain relief
Manual therapy treatments like soft tissue mobilization, ultrasound, electric stimulation, and targeted exercises help relieve pain and restore joint and muscle function. These types of methods also help prevent pain from coming back.
Passive physical therapy vs active physical therapy
Passive therapies
Passive treatments are done first so you can focus on regaining your strength and function later on in your treatment plan. By eliminating pain first, the rest of your treatment program will be easier.
Passive treatments work to manage pain. The purpose of passive physical therapy is to help manage and alleviate pain, so you can get back to the activities you love.
Passive physical therapy can include any combination of these special treatments, as deemed fit by your physical therapist. These include, but are not limited to:
- Manual therapy
- Massage
- Ice and heat therapies
- Dry needling
- Ultrasound
- Hydrotherapy
- Electrical stimulation, such as TENS Units
- Iontophoresis
Active therapies
The purpose of active treatments is to provide exercises that the patient can do on their own in the later stages of their physical therapy treatment plan. In fact, many active physical therapy treatments are designed so the patient can perform them on their own after their PT sessions are over.
Active therapy focuses on targeted exercises and stretches in order to improve function in the affected area.
When your pain or discomfort has lessened to the point where your physical therapist believes you are ready for active physical therapy, he or she will create a customized exercise program for you.
All of the exercises in an active therapy plan are designed to help you regain flexibility, range of motion, and muscular strength. These exercises will aid in the rehabilitation of the sore area by providing support and guiding you through the process.
Clinical studies show the success of physical therapy
Clinical studies support the benefits of physical therapy for health conditions like osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is one of the ten most common illnesses. “Patients were recruited from the osteoporosis outpatient clinics of Klinikum Südstadt hospital and the University hospital of Rostock to engage in physical therapy for osteoporosis.
Over a period of 3 months, 44 patients with osteoporosis completed a twice-weekly 30-minute intensive exercise program. The conclusion was that physical therapy reduced pain and improved function, with the sling exercise patients benefiting most.
The combination of functional improvement and pain mitigation resulted in improved health. This study is just one of the many proving the health benefits of physical therapy, and we strongly encourage you to ask your physical therapist at our clinic for more awesome patient success stories if you’re curious!
Ready to discover the benefits of physical therapy for your health?
With physical therapy, you get an individualized treatment plan to address your challenges, needs, and goals. A physical therapist will help you manage pain, improve chronic conditions, recover from an injury and prevent future chronic diseases.
A physical therapist will also collaborate with other health professionals to ensure that you get the best of care. Patients are encouraged to be active participants in their treatment plan. All around, physical therapy is designed to improve your health and help you engage in your regular activities. If you’re struggling with any kind of pain condition or injury, or if you just want to get in better shape for your sport or hobby, request an appointment with our clinic.
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