Do you currently have an acute or chronic pain condition affecting your daily life? Maybe you’re struggling with back pain, a sports injury or impairments following an auto accident. Perhaps you have someone in your family who is experiencing pain and dysfunction.
Whatever physical issues you or your loved ones are facing, a physical therapist can likely help you. It’s estimated that 11.7 million U.S. adults used outpatient physical therapy in 2011. However, this number makes up less than 10% of all the people who could have benefited from physical therapy.
Physical therapy can benefit you in these three ways
Physical therapists are experts in human movement. They employ a wide range of drug-free, noninvasive techniques that benefit their patients in many ways. These benefits go far beyond “just” symptom management.
Here are three of the top benefits physical therapy can offer:
- It’s completely customizable — A standard physical therapy plan of care is completely individualized to the patient. The chief aims of any physical therapy plan are to address the patient’s unique goals, resolve their impairments, and optimize their recovery, functional independence and long-term health. These outcomes can be achieved through physical therapy techniques such as:
- It reduces risk of opioid addiction — While opioids are a powerful pain-fighting tool, it’s estimated that up to 29% of the people who take them for chronic pain abuse them. This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends physical therapy before opioids for the management of many types of chronic pain. Additionally, treatment techniques used in physical therapy are evidence based. This means they’re tested in scientific research studies to establish their efficacy, effectiveness and safety.
- It identifies hidden factors contributing to your condition — A physical therapist won’t just “mask” your pain. They’ll work to identify and resolve underlying factors contributing to your current condition. For instance, they can discover joint misalignments that are behind your knee pain.
Other underlying issues they can pinpoint include:
- Tense muscles
- Scar tissue
- Range-of-motion limitations
- Muscle activation problems
- Poor ergonomics and body mechanics
- Postural imbalances.
Find beneficial physical therapy at Panther Physical Therapy
Ready to find some long-lasting solutions to your pain? Our team at Panther Physical Therapy can help you find many benefits from physical therapy. We offer free screenings intended to reveal the condition you have and underlying issues contributing to it. Also, our physical therapists excel at building personalized therapy plans designed to reduce your symptoms and prevent them from recurring.
Is your schedule too hectic for an in-person therapy session? No problem! Our team offers therapy services like virtual therapy and at-home care that you can use from home. Even better, you don’t need to visit your doctor to get a referral before you start using our therapy services.
Contact us today for more information about our high-quality therapy services or to schedule your initial appointment.