Your circulatory system is responsible for helping blood flow throughout your body, and there is a specific rhythm to this process. If part of this system becomes damaged or blocked, it can have a significant impact on your whole body health because certain areas can no longer adequately get the oxygen-rich blood they need to perform optimally. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at how physical therapy can oftentimes be the perfect solution for someone dealing with a circulatory issue.
Physical Therapy Can Help Improve Circulation
Depending on your underlying condition and the reason why your circulatory system is not functioning optimally, there will be a couple different ways to treat the issue. Certain medications can help with some aspects of your circulation, but they come with their own side effects. That’s why physical therapy is often recommended to help improve a person’s circulation.
This is especially true for diabetic individuals or those diagnosed with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Diabetes and PAD can lead to limited circulation due to arterial damage, and that can cause numerous problems for places furthest from your heart where it’s hardest to get blood. Many diabetics and patients with PAD need to work to improve their circulation so that their feet can continue to get an ample supply of healthy blood. If they don’t, wounds may take longer to heal and infections can become harder to fight off, which can even lead to the loss of your foot.
But how can physical therapy help to get oxygen-rich blood moving throughout your body? Well for starters, physical therapy gets your heart beating, which can help push blood through your system. Certain exercises and movements can get your heart beating at a healthy rate to improve your circulation in the short-term. But we also want to work on developing long-term improvements, and that’s where finding the root cause of the issue is important.
Your physical therapist can conduct some tests and review your medical history to understand what factors could be contributing to your circulation issues. For example, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol can all hinder healthy blood flow to the cells in your body. Once we know which of these factors are contributing to your circulation issues, we can set you up with a treatment plan.
Developing Healthy Routines
Many people think that physical therapy is just a group of simple exercises and movements, but our team does so much more for our patients. Sure, physical exercises to get blood moving is part of the equation, but so too is helping a patient develop healthy routines that can address their circulation problem on a long-term scale. We can set patients up with exercise programs, diet plans and even help them cut back on smoking or alcohol consumption.
We can also help change your mindset about your health so that exercise and dietary choices don’t feel like such a burden. You’d be amazed at how addressing some mental obstacles can lead to physical improvements, so let our team provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan that works to improve your health on multiple fronts.
So if you or someone you know has been battling a circulatory disorder and wants to improve their condition or prevent it from getting worse, reach out to the team of talented physical therapists at OrthoRehab Specialists today for more information.