Injury and illness are the stuff of nightmares for any gym addict. It’s tempting to want to jump straight back into training before your body’s ready. If you do that, it could make the underlying issue even worse.
The best thing to do is to try and speed up the healing process. That will come if you can find the right treatment. Here are some of the key benefits of physical therapy.
1. A Less Intrusive Approach
You may be experiencing lower back pain or discomfort in your shoulder or knees. Physical therapy is the least invasive way to manage health problems. That’s why doctors often refer patients to a physical therapist before anything else.
Ultrasound therapy uses high-frequency sound waves to stimulate the deep tissues in the body. It’s a great treatment if you’ve been struggling with a damaged rotator cuff from a sports injury, for example.
2. Avoid Surgery
It’s been shown that physical therapy can be as effective as surgery in providing pain relief. Lower back conditions, in particular, can respond well to non-invasive physical therapy.
It’s a wise move to explore the benefits of physical therapy before considering surgery.
3. Pain Relief
Physical therapy can relieve most painful musculoskeletal conditions. Therapeutic exercises can help to mobilize joints and soft tissue and restore muscle function.
A physical therapist can teach you how to perform these techniques. Used regularly, they can prevent the pain from returning.
Stretching is crucial for maintaining a good range of motion with joints. After an injury, scar tissue can form causing soft tissue to contract. Stretching can help to ensure that scar formation does not get in the way of your rehabilitation.
4. Recovering from Surgery
There will be times when surgery is the right choice for an injury. Physical therapists are often trained to understand surgical procedures. They’ll also know which physical therapies should be followed afterward.
Post-operative exercises should always be guided by a physical therapist. That’s because there may be specific restrictions for your injury. They’ll be able to tailor therapies to your particular issue in order to improve your well-being.
This is going to help you get back into shape after your injury. Sometimes, there may also be benefits from pre-surgery physical therapy. This can strengthen the patient and enable faster recovery.
5. Improved Blood Flow
A physical therapist will be able to offer a variety of treatments depending on the illness or injury. This includes ice and heat applications to warm up or cool down the muscles.
These treatments can stimulate blood flow and decrease swelling. A physical therapist will know when to ice and when to heat an injury.
Your therapist may also recommend a course of electrical stimulation. An electrical current will be passed through an affected area. Blood flow to the tissues is increased by the stimulation. This can speed up recovery and reduce pain.
Key Benefits of Physical Therapy
If you enjoy regular exercise, an injury is the last thing you want to deal with. Reducing pain and speeding up recovery are two of the key benefits of physical therapy.
Continue reading our blog for more useful articles. Learn here about some important tips to help with your workout recovery.
