As a leading provider of physical therapy for patients in Germantown, Maryland, and Alexandria and Woodbridge, Virginia, Medical Access knows that although physical therapy can be a great choice for many patients, it isn’t always an appropriate option for everyone. 

This post contains a few simple guidelines that can help you determine if you’re a good candidate for this safe, effective treatment.

Reasons for physical therapy

When considering physical therapy, the first question to ask yourself (and your doctor) is whether you have a condition or issue that can benefit from therapy, like the issues listed below.

You have chronic pain or mobility issues

Acute pain is pain that comes on quickly and resolves not too long after, either with TLC or with medical treatment. Chronic pain is pain that recurs or occurs on a constant or continual basis. Arthritis and nerve-related conditions, like spinal stenosis, are good examples of conditions that often cause chronic pain.

Physical therapy helps by relieving those symptoms now and helping you learn ways to prevent or reduce them in the future, too. Often, therapy focuses on strengthening muscles to relieve strain on the painful area, but therapeutic treatments can also promote healing and prevent fall and other injuries that may be more common with some types of pain.

You have a chronic disease or disability

Physical therapy is especially helpful for people with chronic medical conditions or diseases, like arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, or developmental delays. 

With both in-office treatments and at-home activities, our team devises individual, custom therapy plans that can help you manage your condition and potentially reduce your use of medicines or invasive therapies.

You’re recovering from an injury or surgery

Because it’s easily customized for every patient, physical therapy can be especially effective in helping patients recover following an injury or surgical procedure. Your plan will include a variety of exercises and activities to promote natural healing, helping you recover more quickly and with less discomfort, so you can get back to the activities you enjoy.

You’re having problems with balance

Balance problems tend to become a lot more common with age, but they can occur in younger people, too. Many therapeutic activities help improve your balance, distributing your weight and strengthening muscles and tendons to provide support whether you’re walking, climbing stairs, or performing other activities.

You’re an athlete looking to improve performance

Physical therapists can certainly help you lead a fuller, healthier life in the wake of a disease, injury, or surgery, but they can also help active, healthy people. Athletes of all levels benefit from therapy that strengthens muscles, improves balance, and fine-tunes their technique, so they perform better and get more from their activity, too.

In short, physical therapy can be an excellent choice for people who have pain and other symptoms that affect their quality of life, for those healing after injuries, and for anyone who wants to maintain healthy musculoskeletal function for sports or simply for daily living.

Personal characteristics

Regardless of why you have therapy, some personal characteristics also indicate you’re a good candidate.

Commitment to your routine

Physical therapy requires your active participation. If you don’t feel you’re ready to commit to regular therapy visits or you don’t want to do the at-home exercises involved in most therapy plans, then physical therapy may not be the best choice for you.

Realistic goals

Most chronic medical conditions can’t be cured, but they can be managed. Before starting therapy, it’s important to understand that therapy is a tool to help you lead a more comfortable, more active, more satisfying life. Therapy may also help you limit your use of medication and potentially avoid surgery in the future.

Patience and a positive attitude

Physical therapy can take weeks or even months to achieve the full effects. During that time, it’s almost certain your therapy routine will change as your symptoms improve. Working closely with your therapist ensures you stay on track and celebrate all your achievements and “victories” along the way.

Physical therapy and your healthy future

Physical therapy can be an excellent treatment option for many people, including anyone who has painful symptoms that prevent them from enjoying life to its fullest. 

To learn more about the therapy options we offer, call 301-428-1070, or book an appointment online with the team at Medical Access today.