Most adults don’t receive the recommended amount of daily exercise. In fact, only a third of us receive the right amount of activity each week. This avoidance to physical activity also seems to manifest itself when physicians recommend physical therapy. Physical therapy tends to get a bad rap. After illness, injury, or medical conditions cause limitations in the mobility of individuals, it becomes difficult to earn back that mobility. To achieve your former level of function is certainly no easy task.
If you have experienced such a condition, your family physician may have suggested physical therapy treatments to gain back some mobility — and this can be daunting. There is simply no pretending that physical therapy is easy. Nevertheless, it is crucial to your health. And while there may be days where you want to give up, you should always persevere.
Encouragement: Here’s 4 Reasons Why Physical Therapy Helps
Improved Function of Mobility
Any time mobility begins to feel limited, even if it is not a direct result of illness or injury, physical therapy can be beneficial. If you notice difficulty in standing or stretching, physical therapists at an orthopedic center can tailor a program to your needs. This may even require the use of an assistive device such as canes or walkers. The therapist will be able to ensure that such a device is the proper fit, which adds an additional benefit of preventing falls! The physical therapists will also help improve stretching and balance, allowing individuals to have more confidence in their mobility.
Reduce Your Pain
More than two thirds of adults experience lower back pain, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. And more than half of these chronic pain sufferers believe that their condition negatively impacts their lifestyle. Thankfully, physical therapy can make huge strides in pain relief, even when prescription medications do not seem to do the trick. Depending on your program and treatment protocol, particular exercises and treatments can reduce pain, while allowing muscles to grow and joint function to improve. This can easily relieve pain and maintain that relief, as the treatments are designed to keep pain from returning.
Recover From Injury or Illness
If you have suffered from an injury, such as a sports injury, your primary care physician may recommend that you visit an orthopedic center and see a sports medicine doctor. Doctors with this specialty are familiar with the injuries associated with sports and will have better knowledge in recovery. The physician will be able to design a program based on your sports history and customized for your injury. With physical therapy and plenty of perseverance, you will soon be back on the field or shooting hoops in the court.
Manage Disease
Whether you suffer from diabetes, vascular conditions, heart and lung disease, women’s health conditions, or have previously suffered from a stroke, physical therapy can be incredibly beneficial to you. By visiting an orthopedic center, the physical therapists there will tailor a program designed to help you better manage your medical conditions. For example, physical therapy can improve quality of life for individuals suffering from lung disease, by offering programs that include strengthening and conditioning exercises, while helping patients to clear fluid from the lungs.
