There is a renewed hope that the development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine will help bring a sense of normalcy to our lives, but it’s clear we’ll be feeling the physical effects of the virus long after the majority of the US has been vaccinated. That’s because the pandemic has been very physically challenging on our health, and it has been leading to health issues that are often treated with physical therapy. In today’s blog, we take a look at three reasons why the pandemic will lead to an influx of physical therapy patients for providers in the new year if it hasn’t already.
How The Pandemic Is Creating New PT Patients
Our lives have been uprooted in countless ways because of the pandemic, but odds are one of the following three ways has affected you, and it could be harming your physical health. If so, physical therapy may be in your future. Here’s a look at three reasons why COVID-19 will lead to increased physical therapy sessions in 2021.
1. Working From Home
Tens of millions of Americans transitioned to a work from home environment in hopes of helping prevent the spread or the contraction of COVID-19. Regardless of whether you love or hate working from home, there’s little doubt about the physical effects it can have on your body. A lot of people are working on a laptop from their bed, a couch or a chair that is anything but supportive. We’re seeing a big increase in back and neck pain tied directly to more people working from home. If you are working from home, invest in a quality and supportive chair and avoid sitting on couches or beds for long periods, because this will put extended stress on your lumbar and cervical spine.
2. New Workout Routines
If you’re like a lot of people, your normal workout routine has been impacted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe your sports season was canceled or your neighborhood gym was closed, and that has affected your ability to get regular exercise. If you ended up more sedentary because of the pandemic, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with more pain or soreness directly tied to inactivity and a lack of muscle strengthening.
On the flip side, for those of you who have pivoted and found news ways to stay active in the face of the pandemic, you’re also at risk for injuries. Any time you start a new workout routine you’re at an elevated risk of injury while your body handles new stress and adjusts to new challenges. It’s great that you’re committed to finding a new way to get your exercise in, but we’ll see more than a few patients in our clinic whose injuries are directly tied to a new workout routine. Start slowly and safely ramp up your activity when starting a new routine.
3. Delayed Elective Surgeries
As we start to emerge from the pandemic and more healthcare workers and the general public have access to the vaccine, we’ll see an influx of elective surgeries that were delayed or postponed because of the pandemic. Elective surgeries are already underway, but there is a major backlog in the number of patients waiting for surgeries like hip or knee replacements. Surgeons will begin performing these as swiftly as safely possible, and that will lead to hundreds of thousands of patients being referred to a physical therapist to aid in their rehab. We’re here to help as many patients as we can, so if you will soon be able to undergo an elective surgery in the greater Twin Cities area, we hope you consider choosing OrthoRehab Specialists for your recovery and rehabilitation.
For more information or for help with all your physical therapy needs, reach out to OrthoRehab Specialists today.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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