When you hear the words “physical therapy,” you probably imagine someone performing exercises after a surgical procedure. While that is one type of client we see, it’s far from the only type of individual who can benefit from a physical therapy regimen. Below, we take a closer look at the varying groups of individuals who could see huge improvements in their health or functional abilities by giving physical therapy a try.
Who Can Benefit From PT?
Let’s take a quick look at all of the individuals who stand to benefit from a physical therapy routine. Odds are you fit into one of these groups!
- Post-Op Patients – Let’s start with the group we covered in the intro. Clients who have recently undergone a surgical operation are one of the larger groups we assist. After surgery, your body is in a weakened state, and the best way to achieve maximum physical improvement is with a physical therapy routine tailored to your individual needs. Whether you’re trying to regain range of motion in your shoulder or trying to restabilize your knee after a joint replacement operation, we can help you recover faster.
- Pre-Op Patients – We don’t just help patients who have undergone surgery, we also assist those who have a surgery in the near future. Oftentimes your surgical success likelihood is tied to your health prior to the operation, and if we can help build muscles and develop soft tissues in the area before you go under the knife, odds are the area will be better able to recover after surgery. Prehabbing is an often overlooked way to improve the success likelihood of your operation, and that’s where we come in.
- Athletic Improvement – Athletes that are looking to take their game to the next level can also benefit from a PT routine. Obviously we help injured athletes recover and improve their abilities, but we also can help the uninjured athlete become more biomechanically sound in their movements. We can use imaging devices to track your running form or your pitching mechanics, and then we can make small tweaks to make you more efficient, which can take seconds off your mile time or add miles to your fastball. Injured and uninjured athletes also make up a large portion of our client base.
- Fall Risk – Older individuals who are having balance problems can also really benefit from a physical therapy routine. We can help improve your balance and reduce your fall risk, all by analyzing which areas of your body put you at risk. Balance and coordination training is something we could all benefit from, but it’s especially important for those with a higher than average fall risk.
- Searching For Independence – Our physical therapy team also helps a number of individuals who are just looking to regain some form of independence in their life. Whether that’s being able to perform certain physical tasks after a stroke, or being able to regain function in their arm after a car accident, we can help you regain some independence that has been lost for one reason or another. We listen to your goals and tailor a physical therapy plan to help you meet them.
- Pain Reduction – A final group that can benefit from physical therapy is anyone looking to rid themselves of acute or chronic pain. It’s important to realize that pain is not a normal part of getting older, and ignoring the pain only tends to lead to more pain down the road. We can help reduce pain with physical adjustments, posture changes, biomechanic education or other methods based on the individual. Let us help reduce or eliminate your pain.
For more information, or to see if we might be a fit for your situation, reach out to the experienced therapy team at OrthoRehab Specialists today.