It’s no secret that everyone wants to look and feel their best at any age. But the fact of the matter is that just isn’t the case for many folks. In fact, there are many folks who suffer daily from chronic pain, including nearly 70% of people who are affected by low back pain every day.
Fortunately, there are all types of clinics available that can help people look and feel their best. There are clinics like urgent care centers, where you get in to see doctors quickly and get treated without breaking the bank. There are sports medicine clinics, which help athletes recover from injuries and improve physically. There are also family medicine clinics, which are designed to take care of all members of a family.
Another beneficial type of clinic is one that offers physical therapy. These clinics can help people of all ages, all medication conditions and people with all kinds of injuries or illness. At physical therapy clinics, therapy programs are customized to an individual’s needs and help them improve their overall health and function.
If your primary care doctor is recommending physical therapy, here are nine benefits to consider if you are suffering from physical pain, illness or injury:
- Reducing and eliminating pain: There are a variety of exercises and therapy options at therapy clinics that can significantly reduce or even eliminate pain. Treatments like electrical stimulation, ultrasound and taping among others can greatly relieve pain, restore muscle function and can prevent pain from coming back.
- Better mobility: For folks who have trouble standing, walking or just generally moving, physical therapy can be a godsend. Physical therapists can customize treatment programs to include stretching and strength exercises that can help a person move much better than before. Of course, there are always aids like crutches and canes that can be used, but physical therapy can help make it so that those aids aren’t relied on so heavily.
- Avoiding surgery: Since physical therapy can be a big help when it comes to reducing and eliminating pain, it can also help folks avoid surgery. In cases where surgery is still needed, doing physical therapy beforehand can be very beneficial. The better shape you’re in before surgery, the better off you’re going to be as you recover post-surgery.
- Injury prevention: If you’re an athlete or very physically active, you know there’s a lot of risk involved in being so active, even as it helps promote a healthy lifestyle. Fortunately, physical therapy clinics can offer prevention and recovery programs for you to pursue your physical activity in a safe way.
- Stroke recovery: Strokes of all degrees can be extremely debilitating and, in many cases,, it’s very common to lose movement and function as well as muscle mass. Physical therapy can greatly improve parts of the body that have been weakened from a stroke and help improve movement as well. With the help of physical therapists, stroke patients can gradually become more independent and complete everyday tasks much easier.
- Improved balance: As you start physical therapy, you will more than likely be screened for fall risk. If that screening indicates that you are at a high risk, therapists can guide you with exercises designed to improve balance and coordination. Therapists can also help those who are affected by dizziness and vertigo on a regular basis.
- Dealing with aging: As we get older, many folks develop issues with moment such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Physical therapists can be a big help when it comes to managing those conditions.
- Dealing with vascular conditions and diabetes: For people dealing with diabetes, staying active can be a good way to control blood sugar. It can also help folks who have problems feeling sensations in their legs and feet.
- Women’s health aid: Women have a lot of gender-specific health issues to deal with including pregnancy as well as post-partum care. Physical therapists can offer management and treatment for things like pelvic pain, breast cancer, urinary inconsistence and fibromyalgia.
By visiting one of your local physical therapy clinics, you can do a lot to improve your overall health as well as your mobility. Physical therapists can help people of any age improve their health.