Part I: Recovery and Healing with Physical Therapy
There’s no doubt about it: Physical therapy is a great way to recover and heal from an injury. Read on to better understand why physical therapy helps the body recover from injuries, ailments, surgery, illness, and more.
The Many Benefits of Physical Therapy
We could go on and on about the benefits of PT. For the sake of time, we’ll just discuss some of the significant benefits and why you should consider physical therapy as a primary method of injury recovery.
- Avoid addictive prescription pain medications: The opioid crisis in this country has been well-documented. So many people’s lives are destroyed because of an injury. No, not from the pain or disability caused by the injury, but rather, the addiction they suffer from opioid pain medication they’ve been prescribed by their doctor. While these medications are beneficial in certain situations, the bottom line is they don’t take away the pain–they simply hide it temporarily. And when you’re weighing temporary relief with the risks that include addiction, depression, overdose, and even withdrawal symptoms once you’ve stopped taking the meds, you can see that the reward dwarfs in comparison to the risk.
In fact, it’s these risks that compel the CDC to recommend safe alternatives to pain management–like physical therapy. Not only does PT allow you to avoid the potentially dangerous opioid medication route, but it also helps keep you active since physical therapists treat your pain through movement and activity. Which is actually a benefit itself…
- Stay active: Like we just mentioned, PT will have you moving around (this obviously depends on the type of injury you’ve sustained), which is quite beneficial in itself. Regular physical activity can benefit your physical and mental well-being; it can also help prevent or improve conditions like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Many people are advised to start physical therapy the day following surgery! Whether you are to start immediately or a bit later down the line, we’re here to help.
- Experience personalized care: One of the best things that can be said for PT is that it is never one-size-fits-all. Physical therapists work with people of all shapes, sizes, and ages, so it’s important for a therapist to collaborate with each individual to understand their condition or injury and coordinate a plan that fits their needs–and only their needs. This also offers the opportunity for patients to have input in their own recovery. Recovery requires teamwork, and physical therapists want patients to actively partner with them on their road to wellness.
- Skip surgery: We’ll get this out of the way…in some cases, surgery is inevitable. There are some conditions and injuries that require surgery to recover. That said, surgery can be avoided for many pain and movement issues by going the PT route instead. After all, a physical therapist’s job involves helping people manage pain and improve movement through treatment and exercise. In fact, some conditions respond quite well to PT in place of surgery, including:
- Meniscus tears
- Knee arthritis
- Rotator cuff tears
- Degenerative disc (spinal) disease
- Spinal stenosis
- And more
Stay tuned… next week, we’re sharing some jaw dropping physical therapy statistics. And if you or a loved on needs physcial therapy for any reason, know that we are here to help. Call us today at (800) 481-4582 to schedule your first appointment. NOW is your time to heal!
