A lot of people view physical therapy as an option for injured athletes or people who are recovering from a surgical operation, and don’t get us wrong, those groups do make up a good portion of our client base. That said, we also serve a wide variety of other types of people that are looking to achieve results before an injury or prior to an operation. These clients use physical therapy as a preventative tool, and it can make all the difference for their individual needs. In today’s blog, we explain how some people use physical therapy as preventative medicine.
Physical therapy is more than just helping you recover after an injury or trauma. We can also help prevent a number of issues that might send you to the hospital in the first place. Here’s how we help some of our clients stay healthy by preventing certain problems.
Surgery Prevention
Instead of coming to our clinic to help you recover in the wake of an operation, oftentimes physical therapy can help you avoid that surgery altogether. Surgeons and patients typically like to avoid surgery if at all possible, and physical therapy is arguably the best tool at helping a person increase strength, stability and range of motion in an area to help prevent the need for more hands-on treatment. Physical therapy can’t prevent the need for all surgeries, but for the right patient, like someone dealing with a bulging disc or sciatic nerve compression, targeted physical therapy exercises can work to improve function and decrease symptoms.
Fall Prevention
Falls are one of the leading causes of hospitalizations among people over the age of 50, and many older adults work to prevent this common issue by proactively working to prevent falls with the help of physical therapy. Aside from working to make your feet and ankles stronger, a physical therapist can work to improve your:
- Balance
- Lower Body Stability
- Proprioception
- Posture
All of these improvements can make it easier for you to stay on your feet and avoid a potentially painful fall.
Injury Prevention
Sometimes physical therapy can help stop injuries before they occur. Our physical therapist team has a number of diagnostic tools at our disposal to analyze your movement patterns and identify areas of your body that are shouldering more stress than expected. For example, if you’re a runner, we can see if your stride is putting excessive strain on your hips, or if you’re a pitcher, we can see how your arm angle is affecting your shoulder health. We can then use this biomechanical feedback to make subtle adjustments to your form to prevent injuries before they develop.
Genetic/Hereditary Issues
Finally, our team can also develop a personalized physical therapy routine if you are concerned about some genetic or hereditary health issues that run in your family. For example, if a condition like osteoporosis or flat foot runs in your family, we can tailor a PT routine to your specific needs to ward off some potential threats to your health. So if a bad back or poor cardiovascular health runs in your family, consider working to prevent some of these issues with the help of an individualized PT routine.
If you want to learn more about the benefits of preventative physical therapy, or to get started on a routine of your own, reach out to the team at 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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