We live in a generation where almost everything is available in an instant. From food to transportation to beauty – there is almost nothing left that would make you wait long periods of time to receive it. This trend is one of the many reasons not all people welcome the idea of having a physical therapist or getting physical therapy to have their injuries and chronic pain treated. Often, people who suffer chronic pain or immobility due to physical injuries would choose surgery over therapy if available because they believe that it is a faster, more effective solution to the problem. When you suffer under conditions that need physical therapy, even most primary care doctors would not recommend surgery as the first option due to its very intrusive nature.
Other than to treat chronic pain and injuries, physical therapy is necessary for all of us to help understand how our unique body developed from childhood to adult life, understand its adaptations and needs.
Have you ever heard your parents saying “when you were a child, your walking was different and after wearing this special shoes you corrected yourself”, without giving you any other information about what was the reason of that change in walking and more so, did it really get better or your body just adapted through other compensatory patterns?
Having an in-depth understanding of how we move, can be a great tool while working towards our fitness and well-being. While some of us are shaped and built to go right into a yoga pose without ever exercising or stretching, others might feel that is the most challenging thing they have ever done even after running a marathon.
Let’s educate ourselves and understand where we are, functionally, right now, in order to take our body where we want it to be!
Still not convinced that physical therapy is a good move for your health? Check out these top reasons why you need a physical therapist!
1. There is pain
Pain, no matter how small and intermittent, is still impacting your life in one way or the other. This means there is something not working well, and even if your typical over-the-counter pain medications would help relieve it, most times it’s just temporary. Physical therapy helps you manage the pain and the cause of it. A physical therapist often work directly with a patient over long periods of time to achieve permanent results without unnecessary drug prescriptions, expensive laboratory imaging, or invasive tests.
On another note, it is also the best move to make when you are experiencing chronic pain. Chronic pain is usually caused by repetitive injuries or traumas that did not properly heal. It is believed that this kind of pain is felt because of the damage done to the nerves after the injury. Physical therapy consists of techniques and exercises that will help de-stress your muscles, joints, nerves, and tissue. While it may take longer to take effect than pain killers, the relief from physical therapy is often expected to last longer because the healing begins from the source of your pain.
2. Spend less in the long run
Any health condition can become very expensive, and that’s a fact. All the treatments, medications, and procedures cost quite a fortune. One way to avoid spending thousands on medical treatments for your chronic pain, physical therapy is definitely a great option to take. Sure, it may still cost you a lot to get physical therapy, but it will save you thousands in the long run.
Physical therapy helps heal your injury through a conservative evidence-based treatment approach, making it less likely to return. This way, you will not need to spend much on your pain management medications, relief treatments, and even surgeries anymore! It will not only help you heal your injuries, but it will also eliminate the need for invasive procedures that can cause further complications to your overall health.
3. Manage your health
As we increase the years in our life, one of the most important parts begin to decline, and that’s our health. Participating in physical therapy helps manage our health better and avoid many age-related issues such as osteoporosis or arthritis.
Aside from bone and muscle-related issues, physical therapy can also help you manage diabetes, heart, and lung diseases. Exercise if done right, is a very healthy practice for anybody and it helps effectively control blood sugar and pulmonary problems. It conditions not only your body but the organs that help us function every day as well.
Physical therapy provides great help for all ages –from the growing body of a teenager to an ageing adult. It is much safer and more conservative than all other approaches to managing health, and it provides better results as well.
4. Prevent recurring injuries
Injuries from physical activities often go untreated, especially when they are only minor. This is what often leads to chronic pain and recurring injuries. Pain medications do not cure the injury – they just mask the pain and reduce the swelling of the injured areas, while the tissue is still damaged. As humans, we begin to return to our usual activities once we are relieved of pain and discomfort. Without fully healing the injury, this puts us at a bigger risk for the same (if not more complicated) injuries.
With the different techniques being used in physical therapy, professionals are trained and certified to determine and target the main source of the problem and begin healing from there.
5. Overall Wellness Improvement
To achieve high-level wellness, in reference to the illness-wellness continuum. We need independence, awareness, education, and growth. Physical Therapists are highly qualified movement specialists who can contribute to this goal. This should be self-directed and can benefit from the help of a wellness coach, intuitive eating with the help of a nutritionist or registered dietitian, mindfulness and good mental health by a psychologist/ psychotherapist, etc.
Let Tribeca Physical Therapy assist you with lowering your resting heart rate. Tribeca Physical Therapy is officially reopened for in-person physical therapy sessions and continues to offer Telehealth PT or Virtual PT. Call us at 2124068080 or message us and book your first session free.
