Physical therapy may not always be your first thought with an ache, nagging back pain, or headaches. As a PT, I hear a lot of misconceptions about what physical therapy is and when someone might need it. The most common ones are that PT is for after a surgery or when someone gets hurt in a car accident. It never crosses their mind to see a physical therapist for any other situation.
While we do help post surgical clients and PTs can help you if you have been in a car accident, here are 7 more reasons to see a physical therapist.
1. Reduce Pain
If you are dealing with pain without a known cause (i.e. being diagnosed with gastrointestinal issues), a physical therapist can do a thorough evaluation to get to the bottom of what is causing the pain. Even if we find that it is not something that a PT can help you with, oftentimes we can get a general idea of what the problem is and point you in the direction of the proper health profession that can help.
2. Improve Mobility
You don’t even have to be in pain to see a physical therapist. If you feel like you are stiff or immobile, that’s something that we specialize in. It is one of the main reasons why people get injured, so getting it taken care of before pain sets in is a great idea.
3. Prevent Injuries
I actually prefer to say “reduce the risk of injuries” because sometimes injuries in sports are unavoidable. However, there are things that we can do to make you stronger, more stable, and help you get into safer positions that will all reduce your risk of being injured.
4. Avoid Surgery
Physical therapy isn’t just for post surgical rehab. It could actually prevent you from getting surgery. Many people are saved from unnecessary back, knee, and hip surgeries by going through physical therapy first. Additionally, people that can’t avoid knee or hip replacements recover much better and faster after their surgery when they go through a round of physical therapy leading up to their surgery day.
5. Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most common injuries we see. A lot of people opt for treatments like pain killers, heat, stretching, or adjustment, all with little to no relief because they only treat the symptoms. The key to fixing back pain is to find the root cause, like immobile hips or poor lifting form. Physical therapists are experts in diagnosing and treating low back pain and giving you the tools to manage it at home.
Speaking of back pain, click the link here if you want to read our “7 Tips for Fixing Back Pain and Staying Active”
6. Headaches
Headaches come in many different forms and we can help with some of them. One of the most common is a cervicogenic headache, which is a headache that is caused by the muscles of the neck. We can help work on things like postural control, neck mobility, and neck and upper back strength.
7. Improve Performance
Pain and limited mobility can have a huge impact on your performance, whether you feel it or not. Performance is literally in our name because it’s just as important to us as it is to our clients. We want you to help you run faster, jump higher, or lift heavier!
Do you have something that is bothering you? Does it prevent you from being a part of your favorite sport or activity? Have a question for us about it? Give us a call at (607) 425-3369 or email us at brett@limitlessptny.com.
