Physical rehabilitation is often the first step in recovery after an injury, surgery, or severe illness. It may be done in a hospital or inpatient rehabilitation center.
Physical therapy includes exercises and stretches to improve the movement of injured joints, muscles, and other tissues.
This reduces pain, promotes healing, and increases strength and balance.
Strengthening
When an injury happens, the body can change how it moves to minimize pain or compensate for the injured area.
This can create additional problems and lead to further injuries. Physical therapy helps your body move correctly, minimizing the risk of future damage.
Strengthening exercises during physical therapy help you build muscle strength and manage your pain while improving balance and promoting joint stability.
These activities can also enhance your ability to do everyday tasks, such as opening a jar or brushing your teeth.
Rehabilitation therapy is essential to many health care plans because it offers a controlled medical environment to heal your body while learning new skills or finding different ways to perform your normal activities.
Your therapist can set goals for therapy that are time-bound and measurable, which can help you stay motivated during recovery. In addition, your therapist can offer advice about healthy living to prevent future injuries and illnesses.
Reducing Pain
About 2.4 billion people globally have health conditions that could benefit from rehabilitation. This figure is expected to increase as the world’s population ages and lifestyles shift.
Physical rehabilitation treatments can help reduce pain and improve strength, balance, coordination, and mobility.
They can also help prevent future injuries. They can aid in reducing or eliminating the need for symptom-controlling drugs, which can be especially beneficial for people with long-term health issues.
PT is highly effective in reducing the acute pain that results from a traumatic injury or tissue damage. This type of pain is typically centralized in one area, can be accompanied by warmth and swelling, and will intensify when provoked.
PT also effectively reduces chronic pain caused by muscle or bone disorders, such as arthritis and back pain. It can also treat numbness and tingling in the hands and arms caused by carpal tunnel syndrome resulting from repetitive stress injuries.
Restoring Range of Motion
Restoring your range of motion is an essential aspect of physical therapy. If your injury prevents you from moving your body in the normal rhythm and direction it usually moves, your mobility is significantly reduced, and you risk further damage.
During rehabilitation, your therapist will help you restore your range of motion using heat and cold treatments, electrical stimulation, massages, and other therapeutic exercises. These techniques relieve pain, reduce stiffness, stimulate tissue regrowth, and relax muscles.
Depending on your specific condition, rehabilitative therapy can be used to treat a wide variety of injuries. For example, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, your therapist can teach you stretches and exercises to improve your symptoms.
Or, if you have a joint replacement due to arthritis, your therapist can guide you through movements to help restore your strength and mobility. In addition, rehabilitative therapy can help you manage your health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Preventing Recurrence
About 2.4 billion people globally have health conditions that can benefit from rehabilitation. It is an essential tool that facilitates recovery and empowers individuals to manage their health in various ways.
Physical therapy also focuses on injury prevention, helping you reduce your risk of future injuries through education and exercises. Your therapist will teach you proper body mechanics, posture, and ergonomics to minimize the risk of injury. They will also teach you to modify your training and exercise to improve balance, prevent falls, and reduce muscle tension and stiffness.
While the risk of recurrent injury is always present, a comprehensive physical therapy program can dramatically reduce your risk of further problems. This reduces your need for surgery and also helps you avoid the costs associated with ongoing care. Many insurance companies cover physical therapy, often much less expensive than surgeries and prescription drugs. Moreover, it can be as effective as or better than these options.
