Physical therapy involves a series of exercises targeted at a specific body part to help rehabilitate the muscles and tissues underneath the skin. These exercises are usually completed with the help of physical and occupational therapists, with a few stretches to do at home between sessions at the rehabilitation center.
If you or a loved one has recently been recommended to start physical therapy, you may be wondering what to expect. Here’s some information to help guide you.
Who Can Benefit from Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy can be helpful in a variety of cases. Depending on your reason for starting, or the targeted area, you may have different treatment times, exercises, and outcomes.
Pain: It’s common to experience pain more often as we age. However, it shouldn’t stop you from participating in your favorite activities. If you have pain and aren’t sure why, physical therapy can be used to strengthen the muscles and joints. Strengthening the muscles and joints can help them to perform better (and with less pain!) during activity.
Injury: Car accidents, slip and fall, sitting in a chair all day, or repetitive movements (such as on a manufacturing line) can all cause injury to various parts of the body. Much of the pain from these injuries can be solved with a few weeks of physical therapy at a rehabilitation center.
Surgery: Any type of surgery can take a toll on your body. Your body has been injured both inside and outside, so it takes time to heal. A few weeks after your procedure, you may be referred to physical and occupational therapists to rehabilitate the part of your body that had surgery and restore its natural movement.
How Does Physical Therapy Help?
The physical and occupational therapists will develop a custom plan for your targeted area. Throughout the sessions with your physical therapy team, you will work these areas with various exercises and likely be requested to continue stretches at home. These exercises may also be combined with specific types of massage or other treatments.
The goal of these sessions is to repair and strengthen your painful or injured areas. By strengthening your problem area’s joints, muscles, and tissues, you can help your body function more effectively, like it was meant to do. Moving joints back into place and strengthening muscles means other joints and muscles won’t have to work extra hard to compensate for the weak ones. As a result, you’ll have less pain and be able to move more freely.
Start Your Journey to a Healthier Body Today
You don’t have to live with pain, no matter why it’s happening or how bad it may be. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Advanced Surgical Hospital. Our team of physical and occupational experts work with you and your physician to provide customized treatment. You want to get back to what’s important, and we want to help get you there.
