As the world continues to navigate COVID-19, it’s more important than ever that you stay active and moving. Without proper physical activity, it can lead to a reduced quality of life. Encouraged movement can help prevent injury, relieve pain, treat a chronic condition or injury, and regain control of your life. We’d like to recognize those who help our patients do just that — our physical therapists. After all, October is National Physical Therapy Month!
How Physical Therapy Helps
Physical therapy helps care for your entire body, in particular…
- Bones
- Muscles
- Ligaments and Tendons
- Joints
- Connective Tissue
Some conditions and injuries that may impact your mobility (some, not all)…
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Frozen shoulder
- Hip replacement
- Joint pain
- Knee replacement
- Limited range of motion
- Lyme disease
- Meniscus tear
- Plantar fasciitis
- Rotator cuff repair
- Scoliosis
- Shin splints
- Sprain
- Stroke
- Tennis elbow
Types of Physical Therapy Treatment Methods
Physical therapy is not a “one size fits all” type of treatment. There are many tried and true methods that work to target muscles in the areas that you feel pain, which in turn, allows the corresponding joints to work better and have more support. Some of these treatments include:
- Therapeutic modalities (i.e. ice, heat, laser, electrical stimulation, dry needling, or ultrasound)
- Assistive devices (i.e. walkers, canes, crutches, slings, or braces)
- Exercise (i.e. stretching, lunges, planks, or sit-ups)
- Mobilization and massage (i.e. soft-tissue massage or manual therapy)
- Assessment and evaluation (i.e. regularly assessed for changes in your range of motion, level of pain, strength, and balance)
What Can Physical Therapy Do For You
- Physical therapy can improve both mobility and range of motion. Being able to move is a pretty essential part of life, wouldn’t you agree? If you’re having trouble getting around, your quality of life is definitely going to be affected. Physical therapy can help you rehab from an existing injury, as well as help prevent injuries by working with patients to improve strength, coordination, balance, and flexibility.
- Physical therapy can provide an alternative option to surgery. Surgery may not always be the first course of action for conditions, illnesses, and injuries. In many cases, physical therapy can get patients back to work sooner and it costs less. Physical therapy works well and is oftentimes the best option for patients.
- Physical therapy can help manage your pain without long-term pain medication. Physical therapists can help their patients get control of their pain through a more natural treatment compared to pain medication. Physical therapy can not only relieve the pain, but it can also address what is causing the pain. It is a great drug-free alternative in regards to managing pain.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re tired of the aches and pain and want to start moving again, please reach out to us at Prairie Orthopaedic & Plastic Surgery in Lincoln, NE. Our physical therapy team would be happy to evaluate your condition and get you set up with the proper treatment plan. One of the many benefits of having our team of physical therapists “in-house” is that there is never any delay in communication between your therapist and doctor, which makes for more conducive, higher quality of care for our patients! To schedule an appointment, call us at 402-489-4700!
Resources: Healthline, How Can Orthopedic Physical Therapy Help You; Bayada, What You Need to Know About Orthopedic Physical Therapy