Why Should I See a Physical Therapist Every Year?

Physical therapy may not be your first thought when it comes to nagging back pain, headaches, or even helping to control diabetes. But it could have been. Physical therapy (or PT as it is commonly referred to) is not only for severe pain or after an accident or injury. PT encourages movement across all healthcare practices, from falling to a joint replacement for chronic shoulder pain. PT can be used to improve your ability to enjoy the activities that you love to do.

Avoid Surgery

While surgery is sometimes unavoidable, pre-surgical PT (sometimes referred to as “pre-hab”) may help to ease recovery time and may provide a better post-surgical outcome. Some patients have seen such an increase in motion and a reduction in pain after going to PT that they have completely opted out of surgery.

Aging Management

As we age, we are at risk of losing muscle mass and strength, making it harder to balance our own body weight. PT can help address the problems of joint pain, arthritis and osteoarthritis. It is also important for aging adults to learn how to make changes and adjustments to everyday activities (like getting up out of a chair or walking up and down steps). PT can help you move confidently and reduce the risk of falls and injuries as you get older.

Help Control Your Illness Or Condition

Physical therapy extends well beyond rehabilitation centres. Some physical therapists are trained to help people with conditions involving their heart, lung or weight—or specialize in the treatment of pelvic floor pain and dysfunction. People with type 2 diabetes, for example, can benefit from physical therapy as physical conditioning helps with weight loss by potentially reducing the need for medication and reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Another focus area in PT is helping to manage neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. When it comes to physical therapy, movement is a medicine—and sometimes “bed rest” is the worst medication prescribed after a disease has been diagnosed.

Injury Prevention

There’s a good chance you’ve never seen a physical therapist unless you’ve been injured, but it’s a good idea to treat PT as a form of preventive care. You may want to have a competitive advantage in sports or to work on your posture. A good PT will learn about your level of activity and teach you what can be done to prevent injury—including how to be more aware when it comes to movement.

Improving Mobility, Balance, And Strength

Physical therapists are advocates of the movement. Part of their work is to teach you about cause and effect in the human body. Knee pain may be the result of the need to strengthen your hips, while carpal tunnel and neck pain may be the result of typing and texturing too much. Physical therapy can help you adjust how you move around in your day-to-day activities, as well as improve your form when you exercise. It’s important to be proactive about physical therapy and to take care of your body’s mechanics. A good PT will help explain why your body is reacting in a certain way and working with you to address and correct it.

Are You Looking for a Physical Therapist Near San Jose You Can Trust?

Pace Physical Therapy in San Jose, California specializes in non-surgical neck pain relief and recovery therapies.  We pride ourselves on offering the best possible physical therapy available and going above and beyond for our patients. Our highly experienced physical therapist will work with you to improve your function and relieve your pain. We start by assessing the body as a whole. Oftentimes the cause of pain or an injury extends far beyond just the body part or muscle hurting. Without taking a comprehensive look at your entire self, we would be doing you a disservice in fully helping you heal and preventing future limitations. We then move on to fixing your areas of limitation.  Not all diagnoses are created equal. One person with neck pain may have completely different limitations than the next person. Your recovery program needs to be specific to what YOUR body needs and not just the typical exercise program that you can find online. Just because your pain decreases or you can walk longer doesn’t mean that it is enough to get you functioning at the level you want to be. While this often signifies the end of care at your typical PT clinic we don’t stop providing guidance until we help you successfully meet every goal you set for yourself with us on day one. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!