Many people are under the impression that going to physical therapy is only something that happens after surgery or a serious injury of some kind. But there are many reasons to take advantage of physical therapy’s benefits. It’s used to promote mobility, relieve pain, and restore function. It can also be used to prevent surgery or even prevent an injury from occurring in the first place by improving core strength and balance.
So when should you book an appointment to begin physical therapy in Wilkes-Barre, PA, or anywhere else? There are many instances, and these are just a few.
After a Sports Injury
There are millions of sports injuries every year, with some of the most common related to the use of exercise equipment, bicycle accidents, basketball, and football. Of course, they can occur among runners, like shin splints and ankle sprains, and all types of other amateur and pro athletes. The sooner one sees a physical therapist following a sports injury, the better, as they can design an appropriate recovery program to ensure a safe return to the sport.
You’re at a High Risk for Falls
If you’re at a high risk for falls, which includes the vision impaired, the elderly, those who suffer from a condition that causes dizziness, have ankle or foot disorders, poor balance, or are on certain medications, among many other factors, going to physical therapy can help mitigate that risk. Therapists can help design an exercise program to improve balance and coordination or perhaps prescribe an assistive device to help with safer walking. If you have a balance problem related to an issue with the vestibular system, physical therapists can perform certain maneuvers that help to quickly restore functioning, eliminating symptoms like vertigo and dizziness.
You’ve Been Diagnosed with Diabetes
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you may want to consider physical therapy as part of an overall management plan, as exercise can help control blood sugar effectively. Physical therapists are able to provide education and create an appropriate exercise program that not only helps balance blood sugar levels but can relieve pain, improve overall functioning and even help heal diabetes-related skin conditions quicker.
You Want to Improve Athletic Performance
Physical therapists often utilize a whole-body approach, focusing on building endurance, flexibility, strength, and balance that can improve athletic performance. Whether you want to run a 5K or a marathon, lift weights, or kick a field goal, form matters. A physical therapist also assesses form, providing guidance on adjusting it for maximum efficiency no matter what the sport. But it’s not just about strengthening muscles and performing exercises, it’s also about releasing muscle tension through massage therapy. It’s just one of the many components of physical therapy, helping to trigger the relaxation response, combating mental and physical stress.
You Want to Avoid Surgery Or Recover Faster Post-Surgery
Physical therapy can sometimes prevent the need for surgery altogether. For example, it can be just as effective as surgery for relief of pain from certain lower back conditions like spinal stenosis as well as treating knee osteoarthritis. If surgery can’t be avoided, at minimum physical therapy will help you go into surgery stronger, which typically means recovering faster.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
