Have you experienced a sports injury that is preventing you from taking part in activities you enjoy? Are you having difficulty with movement due to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle? Do you simply want to improve your physical ability without getting injured?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you could be a candidate for physical therapy.
Injuries are a common part of life, and this is especially true if you are participating in fitness activities or organized sports. Inadequate warm up, lack of conditioning, poor training techniques, overtraining, and fatigue often result in serious injuries that could easily be avoided.
Physical therapy plays a very important role in restoring, maintaining, and promoting optimal physical function. It helps individuals rebuild strength and movement in parts of their body following an injury. A physical therapist is qualified to diagnose any movement dysfunction and teach you exercises and stretches while using special equipment to address any specific problems you might have. In cases of permanent impairment due to injury or illness, a physical therapist can still help by suggesting coping mechanisms to overcome your functional limitations.
Patient education is an important part of physical therapy. You will be taught how the injury affects your body, how to correct faulty movement patterns and habits that might aggravate your condition, and ways to prevent further injuries. You may benefit from physical therapy even if you are not injured. If you have stiff joints due to arthritis, your therapist may use thermal modalities such as heat or ultrasound to relieve pain and relax your joints. A specific exercise program can be developed based on your symptoms.
Physical therapists focus on relieving pain, promoting healing, and restoring function and movement. Treatment may consist of hands-on joint and soft tissue treatment techniques, exercise techniques and pain reducing modalities. A treatment plan is designed to increase motion and strength, reduce pain, and most importantly, restore function. You will be involved in an active exercise program and educated in ways to speed recovery and prevent recurrence of the problem.
Today, the scope of physical therapy has grown to encompass a wide range of conditions treating newborns as well as the elderly. To ensure that you get the most out of your physical therapy program, make sure you comply with the recommendations made and feel free to ask any questions regarding your therapy, lifestyle changes, or modifications in your daily routine to positively impact your health.
Regardless of your age, you may benefit from working with a physical therapist to help you return to normal function.
Dr. Domb is a nationally recognized orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery of the hip, shoulder, and knee. A noted pioneer in advanced new techniques in hip arthroscopy, he delivers innovative treatments for patients with hip injuries such as impingement and labral tears. Dr. Domb is also an expert in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder and knee, adept in specialized techniques including arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and all-inside ACL reconstruction.
