Physical therapy is used along with certain pain treatments to help reduce the symptoms of chronic pain and increase your movement and function. This form of therapy can be used to treat different ailments and injuries. One way that it is often used, is to help those suffering from acute and chronic pain. What most patients don’t know though is how truly important this form of therapy is.
Physical therapy is one of those treatments that you may wonder, “why do I need this and will it even help?” In today’s blog we will go over how exactly physical therapy may help reduce your pain symptoms and get you back to functioning and living in your daily life.
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy is form of therapy where a trained professional will teach you how to move properly. These movement experts are able to diagnose and treat a variety of different injuries. They can also help give you the tools that help to decrease your pain and allow the injury to heal. I often feel that a therapist is a body movement teacher because he/she will identify your body mechanics and help you to get rid of old habits that may be adding to the severity of your chronic/acute pain. The therapist will then teach you new and proper techniques that may help heal and prevent further injuries.
What to expect during your visit a patient will most likely receive a referral for physical therapy from myself if I feel that it’s indicated. I have a list of therapists that I refer to regularly who are specialist in specific injuries or ailments. Once a patient receives this referral they will make an appointment for their first visit.
Most insurance companies may cover these treatments, but it is always best to check with your insurance company to verify coverage before your first visit. Usually the front office at most physical therapy groups will help you figure this out.
When you arrive for your first visit, your therapist will have you fill out medical history and will likely already have information regarding your injury that was sent from your referring doctor. Together you will go over the information to confirm why you are there and where you are experiencing pain.
Once this information has been covered, he/she will walk you through treatment guidelines and what it will take in order to help you. They will then discuss how man visits a week are recommended and more than likely will send you home with homework to do between visits. This usually entails light home exercises that will help with your progress. During the initial visit the PT will guide you through some light physical testing to determine the severity of your injury.
Some of these tests include:
- watching the way you
- walk assessing how well you can bend, turn, grasp, etc
- what you posture and balance look like
- determining your activity levels
Where do I go for PT?
The physical therapy facilities are great because they have all of the equipment necessary to give you the best treatment.
Why Physical therapy is important
I am a big believer in the benefits of physical therapy and have seen how it has helped a good amount of my patients reduce their pain and recover from their injuries. I also like that physical therapy may be used as a preventative measure to help prevent future injuries. By learning how to move properly it gives you the tools to prevent further injury.
Who is a candidate for physical therapy?
- sports related injuries
- neurological injuries and conditions
- pediatric conditions, such as cerebral palsy
- female health conditions to strengthen the pelvic floor
- hand conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
- musculoskeletal conditions
Summary
Physical therapy is a very beneficial treatment that can help a variety of conditions. Making sure to follow your doctor’s guidelines as well as the physical therapist’s guidelines will ensure the outcome of your therapy. PT can feel long and time consuming, but the benefits outway the sacrifice. Watch our latest video to see our thorough discussion regarding physical therapy and some common questions asked by patients.
For any further questions regarding this blog post please feel free to reach out to our team at ISPW. We are here to answer all of your questions.
Here is to good health and less pain,
Dr. Goyle
