One common misconception about physical therapy (PT) is that it’s only for athletes who get injured during play or practice. For sure, physical therapy offers plenty of benefits for recovering after a sports injury. It has lots of other applications, too.

At Medical Access, our team recommends physical therapy for a variety of patients and a variety of reasons. Here’s how to tell if physical therapy might be a good choice for your health and wellness.

What to expect in physical therapy

Before your therapy begins, our team performs a physical exam and reviews your medical history, along with any symptoms or treatment goals you have. Then we work with you to develop a therapy program to help you achieve those goals.

Your PT plan will include a series of exercises, stretches, and other activities to improve strength, mobility, flexibility, endurance, and balance, while also reducing pain and inflammation. In addition to the activities you perform on-site, your therapist will assign activities to do at home, too.

Depending on your needs, your therapist can help you modify activities to reduce strain on specific areas. And of course, they’ll adjust your therapy as your symptoms improve.

5 reasons to have PT

Because PT can be entirely customized, there are lots of reasons why PT could make sense for you. 

#1: You’ve had a non-sports injury

Physical therapy is frequently recommended for people with repetitive stress or overuse injuries. That includes people with tendonitis, bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and golfer’s or tennis elbow. It can also be helpful for recovering from car accidents and slip-and-fall injuries by promoting optimal conditions for healing.

#2: You’ve had surgery

Surgery puts a lot of strain on your body, and depending on the type of surgery you have, it can take some time to regain your level of activity. Physical therapy uses exercises and other approaches to improve circulation and reduce stiffness, swelling, and pain. PT is especially helpful for orthopedic surgeries, including joint surgery and surgeries to repair tendon or ligament injuries.

#3: You have chronic pain

Physical therapy can play an important role in chronic pain management, including back pain and pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, and chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS). In fact, this study found PT is “most effective” in reducing fibromyalgia pain, while this study found early PT helps patients with back pain avoid long-term use of pain medicines.

#4: You have a muscular or neuromuscular condition

PT can help reduce many of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy. In addition, regular therapy can improve mobility by strengthening muscles and improving balance and coordination. 

#5: You want to prevent injuries 

In addition to treating injuries, physical therapy can help prevent injuries in the future by improving your flexibility and your balance. Our team customizes every physical therapy program based on each patient’s unique goals, lifestyle, medical history, and existing symptoms for better musculoskeletal health.

Find out how a custom PT program can help you

Physical therapy offers significant benefits for people with a variety of health issues, including acute and chronic concerns. To find out if a custom PT program can help you lead a healthier, more comfortable life, book an appointment online or over the phone at Medical Access today.