After a significant injury, it may be obvious that you need surgery or physical therapy, but many times the need for physical therapy is not so apparent. When your pain develops slowly over time, you may need to look for certain symptoms that could suggest physical therapy would be in your best interest. In today’s blog, we look at five symptoms that may benefit from physical therapy.
Symptoms That Can Be Fixed With Physical Therapy
If you’re dealing with any of these five symptoms, you should consider setting up an appointment with a physical therapist at OrthoRehab PT.
- Low Back Discomfort – Many people assume that back pain is a normal part of getting older, but that’s just not true. Our spines can wear down after years of stress, but that doesn’t mean that pain or limited flexibility is normal. Through simple physical therapy exercises, we can help to strengthen your spine and supportive soft tissues so that back pain doesn’t slow you down.
- Headaches – If headaches are becoming more frequent, you may find yourself turning to over the counter medications and pain relievers. These may be helpful in the short-term, but they won’t help address the underlying cause of your headaches. Muscle tension or stress could be causing your headaches to develop, and a physical therapist can help develop an exercise routine to help prevent these headaches from developing in the future.
- Wrist Pain – If you are dealing with wrist pain or carpal tunnel syndrome, physical therapy will be what you need to help prevent fine motor movements from causing discomfort. Carpal tunnel syndrome affects one in 20 Americans, and strengthening the muscles and tendons in the area can help calm inflammation and prevent nerve compression. We can help design a therapy routine that can reverse damage caused by decades of fine motor use.
- Ankle Instability – If your ankles are rolling or you’re suffering more frequent ankle sprains, consider setting up an appointment with a physical therapist. An ankle sprain can lead to ligament damage and weakened support of the ankle joint, leaving you predisposed to more sprains in the future. Working with a physical therapy team can help fix these damaged ligaments and get you back to athletic activity without the increased risk of another ankle sprain.
- Inhibited Gait – Finally, if your walking pattern is off, or you’re walking with a limp, it’s a sign that you could benefit from a consultation with a physical therapist. It may not seem like a big deal, but if you’re forced to adjust your gait, other structures are being forced to handle abnormal stress, and this can lead to expedited degeneration of joints like your knees and hip. Stop the issue before it snowballs into a bigger problem by contacting a physical therapist in your area.
For help with any of these conditions, or to talk about your health issue, reach out to the experienced team at OrthoRehab Specialists today.