Physical Therapy, a combination of functional exercises and education about how your body moves, has many benefits. Physical therapists can help you reduce chronic pain, recover from an injury, or even step up your game in your chosen sport. So come on—let’s get physical!

1. Physical Therapy Can Help You Recover From a Traumatic Event

Physical therapy can reduce the symptoms of many injuries or adverse events, such as a stroke or a car accident. A specialist can work with you to determine what muscle areas need work and recommend functional exercises focusing on these sites. Over time, this can help patients build strength, increase flexibility, achieve better health, and sometimes even avoid surgery.

2. Physical Therapy Can Lower Your Risk of Aggravating Your Injury

Moving the wrong way could stress your wound more after a strain, tear, or other trauma. A physical therapist will assess your injury and teach you which movements are generally safe and which might exacerbate your pain or further damage the area.

3. Physical Therapy Can Improve Mobility and Balance

While many think of physical therapy as a treatment that occurs after trauma, it can also be a form of preventive care. Older patients often receive physical therapy to help them move around without the need for walkers or canes while also helping them avoid falls, which can lead to broken bones and other injuries.

4. Physical Therapy Can Reduce Chronic Pain

Whether a patient’s chronic pain stems from an injury or a disease like arthritis or fibromyalgia, a physical therapist can analyze their condition and create a plan to help reduce their pain. An analysis of over 88,000 people with some type of musculoskeletal pain found that even one session of physical therapy that occurred quickly after diagnosis could reduce the number of opioids, highly addictive pain relievers, a person took. This can potentially reduce dependence on these drugs and lead to healthier outcomes.

5. Physical Therapy Can Help Improve Athletic Performance

Physical therapy isn’t just for treating injuries—it can also help people who want to increase efficiency in their chosen sport. A specialist will determine which muscles to focus on and the correct exercises to improve your strength and flexibility, helping you score more goals or reach a new personal record. Regularly attending physical therapy can also prepare your muscle groups for the repetitive movements of your sport, reducing your risk of injury.

Finding the right plan for you is essential to your success. If you are having trouble meeting strength and conditioning goals, despite your best effort, a physical therapist can work with you to identify any issues and design a program to maximize your movement and enhance performance.

If you want to learn more about how you can benefit from physical therapy, schedule an appointment with ZK Outpatient Rehabilitation Center today! We can help determine the proper treatment for you and refer you to the right medical professionals as needed.

Sources: Medical News Today | Baylor College of Medicine | APTA | ChoosePT