Does Physical Therapy Work Long Term?

Physical therapists (PTs) use different methods to help people restore strength, movement, and function. They also teach NC Center For Physical Therapy patients how to prevent future injuries and pain.

Many people go to physical therapy only for short periods of time, like to recover from an injury or to rehab after surgery. Others work with a PT for months or longer to manage a long-term condition.

1. It’s a long-term solution

Many people with chronic pain choose physical therapy as an alternative to medications that only treat the symptoms and not the cause. It can be a more effective, long-term solution to pain management.

PT works as a form of rehabilitation that helps patients return to a normal lifestyle. It also helps prevent future injuries and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

A physical therapist will use a variety of techniques to address your unique problem. They might assess posture, mobility, muscle strength and more to help you feel your best.

They can also provide education about body mechanics and how to move efficiently. They will teach you about avoiding injuries by strengthening and stretching muscles. They may even prescribe exercises to improve your overall health and well-being.

2. It’s a preventative measure

Physical therapists work with patients to prevent injuries and improve their health. This includes helping people start new activities, such as running or weightlifting, safely and without injury.

For instance, after a hospital stay or other medical event, it’s important to keep moving because that can help prevent infections and make sores easier to heal. But moving incorrectly can lead to cuts, wounds and bedsores.

A PT can show you how to do specific movements correctly and teach you how to do them yourself at home, too.

A good PT will also help you manage chronic pain, such as a backache or arthritis. This can reduce the amount of opioids you take to manage pain, which can help prevent addiction and other problems.

3. It’s a part of a healthy lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle is a combination of eating nutritious foods, getting enough physical activity, and caring for your mental health. These habits can lead to better overall health, less illness and disease, a longer lifespan, and lower costs.

PTs can help you develop these habits NC Center For PT, whether through one-on-one sessions or online exercises to improve your overall fitness and movement. They also have a unique connection with their patients because of the time they spend with them.

Physical therapists are movement specialists, trained in analyzing mobility issues with walking, running, jumping, bending, and stretching. These skills help them create customized treatment plans that address pain, build muscle strength, reduce stiffness and improve balance. They can also help patients get back to their everyday activities without the need for surgery or drugs.

4. It’s a part of a treatment plan

The right PT can help you reduce pain, improve your mobility and build your strength. Often, physical therapy is part of a larger treatment plan that includes other therapies and lifestyle changes.

A good PT will ask you about your medical history, what is causing your symptoms and how long you have had them. They’ll also ask you about your goals for treatment and what sort of things you are hoping to achieve.

The best PTs will create a tailored treatment plan to suit your needs. They’ll show you exercises to do between sessions, recommend equipment that will support your recovery and even help you manage your symptoms better at home. In the end, a good PT is like a trusted friend: they’ll do all they can to help you feel your best.

5. It’s a part of recovery

When you suffer an injury, it may feel like your body takes a long time to heal. But the truth is that physical therapy is a vital part of your recovery.

The best therapists create a treatment plan that adapts to your lifestyle and can include both daily exercises and postural strengthening. This will not only help you to improve your mobility, but it can also increase your overall health.

Conclusion

In addition to working with your body, physical therapists also work on improving your pain management. By restoring Physical Therapy Clinic blood flow to affected tissues, they can significantly reduce your experience of chronic pain. This decreases the need for medication to alleviate pain, and it can help you avoid future injuries.