If you have a chronic medical condition that causes pain, physical therapy is an effective treatment. In addition to providing pain relief, it helps patients recover strength and mobility this reduces reliance on prescription drugs and over-the-counter painkillers.
A doctor can write a referral for physical therapy or you can self-refer. The most important thing is to take an active role in your treatment and to participate in all sessions.
What Is Physical Therapy?
Physical Therapy is a non-invasive treatment that helps patients heal injuries and alleviate pain without medication or surgery. It can be done at a specialized clinic, in your doctor’s office or even in the comfort of your own home.
La Clinica use techniques like therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, and modalities (like heat and cold or electrical stimulation) to reduce pain and swelling. They can also help improve balance and coordination to prevent future injury.
Physical therapists understand how the cardiovascular, neurological and endocrine systems affect movement. They can diagnose patients based on their movement patterns and create an individualized treatment plan to suit their needs.
They will often evaluate more than just the area of pain to ensure that other areas are not causing or contributing to the issue.
This type of comprehensive evaluation can lead to a faster recovery and reduced pain in the long run. This type of care is particularly important for people who work in physically demanding jobs or play sports.
It’s a Non-Invasive Treatment
Unlike surgery or cortisone steroid injections, physical therapy uses natural healing mechanisms to treat pain and injury. It can help reduce the risk of surgery or medication-related side effects, and is a safe and effective option for many patients.
Physical therapists use techniques like massage, heat and cold therapy, electrical stimulation, and soft tissue mobilization to ease muscle pain. They can also teach you modalities you can use at home to manage pain, improve flexibility, and strengthen weakened muscles.
Tom Brocato says physical therapists can also teach you how to change habits that can contribute to your pain, making it less likely that your symptoms will return. This broad-lens approach to your health can have major life-changing benefits, far beyond just reducing your pain. It can empower you to actively address the issues that can trigger your pain and injury and make healthy changes for a lifetime of wellness.
It Can Help You Avoid Surgery
Many patients with conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, knee meniscus tears, and osteoarthritis can achieve relief from pain and stiffness without surgery. This varies from patient to patient, however, and sometimes surgical procedures are medically-necessary.
Physical therapy can address underlying imbalances in the body that contribute to pain, stiffness, and poor movement patterns. Strengthening and stabilizing these areas can reduce the likelihood of future injuries and may help you avoid surgery.
Keeping the body moving after an injury or surgery reduces the chance of complications like blood clots, lung or heart problems, and reduced mobility. Physical therapy can also incorporate techniques like dry needling to stimulate muscles to improve circulation and promote healing.
If you have an injury or pain that you want to manage without going under the knife, contact Vineyard Complementary Medicine to learn more about how physical therapy can help you! We’ll create a treatment plan that fits your goals and needs.
La Clinica SC offers comprehensive in San Diego diagnostic testing services. Visit their website for details on the range of tests available and how to schedule an appointment.
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It Can Help You Recover Faster
One of the primary benefits of physical therapy is that it allows patients to manage pain without relying on opioid painkillers. Many forms of physical therapy treatment increase blood flow, which reduces inflammation and enables the body to heal faster.
In some cases, physical treatment can even help people avoid surgery. For example, if you have a herniated disc, physical treatment may be able to relieve enough pain and reduce inflammation to the point where surgery is no longer necessary.
In addition, physical therapy is great for improving balance and coordination. This can prevent injuries from falls, which often result in severe injuries. Physical therapy can also address underlying issues that contributed to an injury in the first place.