Physical therapy aids people with injuries, medical conditions or illnesses which limit the irregular movement and functionality, regardless of their age. Through customised physical therapy programs, people are able to achieve their past level of functioning while encouraging lifestyle changes and activities to prevent future injuries and improve their overall well-being and health. Since physical therapy is revered by many as a conservative approach to managing problems, most primary care doctors usually recommend it to patients at the onset of problems. If you have ever wondered why physical therapy is important, below are some reasons why it is beneficial.
Physical therapy aids in reducing or eliminating pain. Pain can be greatly reduced by restoring muscle and joint functionality through therapeutic exercises, treatments like taping, electrical stimulation and ultrasound and manual therapy techniques like joint and soft tissue mobilisation.
Physical therapy is a very effective way of avoiding surgery. Surgery may not be necessary if your injury gets healed or pain is completely eliminated through physical therapy. Physical therapy may offer plenty of pre-surgery benefits even in instances where surgery is required. In most instances, people recover much faster afterwards if they go into surgery strong and in good shape.
Physical therapy is pivotal for improving mobility. If you have a hard time standing, moving or walking, physical therapy can be of great benefit regardless of your age. Through stretching and strengthening exercises, the ability to move gets restored. Physical therapists can appropriately fit patients with assistive devices such as crutches or canes or a system for orthotic prescription. For safety and performance maximisation, individual care plans can be customised for various patients to ensure that they practice and adapt any important activities.
Sports related injuries can be recovered from or to a large extent prevented through physical therapy. Physical therapists are aware of how various sports can expose athletes to specific kinds of injuries. Therefore, physical therapists are capable of designing suitable recovery or prevention exercise programs to ensure safe returns to sports.
More often than not, people lose functionality and the ability to move to some extent after suffering a stroke. Physical therapy is capable of strengthening weakened body parts while improving gait and balance. Through physical therapy, stroke patients can improve their ability to move around in bed and transfer, which is useful for making them more independent at home by reducing the huge burden of care for daily activities such as dressing, bathing and toileting.
When people age, they may develop conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis or even require joint replacements. Through physical therapy, patients can successfully recover from joint replacement and conservatively manage conditions such as osteoporosis or athritis.