5 Things You Might Not Know About Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is not always everybody’s first choice of treatment. Often, people who have suffered injuries and people with chronic pain or restricted mobility prefer surgery to physical therapy, believing that surgery is a faster and more effective way to treat the problem. However, most primary care doctors refer patients to a physical therapist as the first course of action, because it is the least intrusive approach.

But that’s not all. Physical therapy also has several other benefits that can prove to be as effective as other courses of treatment, or even better. Here are some such advantages of physical therapy.

Physical Therapy helps manage pain

Chronic pain can be one of the most frustrating conditions to experience, especially if the underlying cause is unknown. However, physical therapy techniques and therapeutic exercises can help mobilize your joints and soft tissue and restore muscle function, reducing aches or eliminating pain altogether. And when patients continue to perform the prescribed physical exercises regularly, it can keep the pain from returning.

Physical Therapy can help avoid surgery

While surgery is unavoidable in some cases, physical therapy can help avoid surgery for others. By eliminating pain, assisting with healing, and improving physical health, physical therapy can help heal injured tissue and facilitate mobility all on its own, thus eliminating the need to go under the knife. And in case you’ve already had surgery, PT can get you into good shape and help you recover faster.

Physical Therapy can prevent injuries

One of the key aspects of physical therapy involves assessing the weak areas in the patient’s body, and formulating a PT plan that helps strengthen these vulnerable points. By recognizing the areas of muscular or skeletal weakness, a physical therapist can analyze how likely it is that a patient will suffer injury, and create an exercise regimen that targets and strengthens weak muscle groups and joints, thus preventing future injuries in these areas.

Physical Therapy improves mobility and balance

Often, after a serious injury or a big surgery, it can be hard for patients to get back on their feet. Mobility can be restricted, and simple activities like writing, eating, or balancing the body can prove to be a challenge. This is when physical therapy comes in handy. Therapeutic exercises can restore mobility, make walking and moving around safer, and can even improve coordination and balance in patients who are at high risk for falls.

PT can also help to tackle general health issues

One of the less obvious advantages of physical therapy is that it helps handle and manage many age-related health problems including joint pains, arthritis, and osteoporosis. PT is a safer and more conservative approach for older patients, as it gives them a less traumatic alternative than undergoing joint replacement surgery. Physical therapy has also proven to be effective for patients suffering from cardiac issues, as it improves cardiovascular function.

Physical therapy is not merely an alternative course of treatment; it offers varied benefits for people from all walks of life, right from athletes and sportspersons to people suffering from a range of health issues.