Why Physical Therapy?
Believe it or not a lot of people don’t know what physical therapy is until they injure themselves and have to go to the doctor. Too many times I’ve been asked what I do for a living and when I respond, “I’m a physical therapist,” 90% of the time I get the response, “Oh so you give massages.” Let me just stop you right now, nothing pisses a physical therapist off more than assuming they give massages all day. WE ARE NOT MASSAGE THERAPISTS! The key word in physical therapy is PHYSICAL. The body was made to perform different movement patterns as necessary to function within everyday tasks. So when it comes to therapy movement is key. Let me say that again for the people in the back… Movement is Key!
In order to get back to playing a sport, or having to perform work duties, you need to be able to perform all the movements necessary for those tasks. Not only do you need to be able to do them pain free but with proper movement patterns to prevent future injuries or exacerbations of a current condition. How can you perform those tasks if you’re not retraining your body to do so? Yes, as PT’s we are taught massage techniques in school as a tool to help increase circulation, reduce swelling, improve flexibility, etc. but that is only one small aspect and majority of the time it’s not appropriate for the patients diagnosis.
That being said, what exactly do physical therapist do? With the use of manual therapy (wait, what is that? Scroll down to check out the definitions), corrective functional exercises and modalities; PT’s help reduce pain and restore mobility for those who suffer from acute and chronic injuries and diseases.
So why physical therapy? It’s simple. You’re in pain and unable perform daily tasks whether that be working, playing a sport, or just walking to the car. Physical therapist are highly trained in looking at the body as a whole in order to not only determine the cause of your pain, but to provide the best treatment plan to resolve the underlying issue that has caused that condition. For example, you start having shoulder pain, the doctor tells you to go to PT and in the middle of the evaluation your therapist starts look at your neck first. Now you’re confused right? You came for shoulder pain and they are doing stuff with your neck. What you don’t realize is that a lot of issues with the shoulder, elbow and even hand can be a result of an issue that actually stems from the cervical spine (aka your neck).
Imagine going to PT for shoulder pain 2-3x/week for 6 weeks, paying a 50$ co-pay every visit and the therapist has only treated your shoulder but you aren’t getting better. Why? Because the underlying issue was coming from your neck the whole time, even though you have no neck pain. Crazy right… not really. Therapist are trained to catch these disputes so that you don’t waste your time and money. So, if you are currently going to a therapist who has only looked at that shoulder and not assessed any part of your spine and you’re not getting better, you need to ditch them… If you’re going to PT at a clinic where a tech/aide is the only person taking you through your exercises and then setting you up on heat or ice at the end, but you never actually got to see the PT or work with them, you need to ditch that clinic.
Now of course this is all my personal opinion. If you are content with where you are and the care you receive there, then by all means stay; but if you feel like you are just at a factory and it’s hindering your progress, then you need to take control of the direction your health care is going. I’ve been a travel physical therapist for a little over 3 years now and I have had the chance to work in different clinics, some I loved and some I hated.
I personally got into physical therapy because I knew I wanted to work with athletes. I’ve played sports since I was 5 and even played college basketball. I saw what an injury could do to the career of an elite athlete and being accident prone myself I knew I wanted to eventually get into sports medicine. I LOVE rehabbing athletes, they are one of the most motivated populations to me and therefore have the most success with therapy. They always give me 100% so why wouldn’t I return that amount of effort? So when it’s all said and done, you need to work with that PT who is going to match your effort.
My take home point… Physical therapy can be a great avenue to help you return to your “normal” daily functions. It takes effort on both parts, but the results can be life changing. When in doubt #ChoosePT
Definitions
Manual Therapy: skilled hand movements and skilled passive movements of joints and soft tissue intended to improve tissue extensibility; increase range of motion; induce relaxation; mobilize or manipulate soft tissue and joints; modulate pain; and reduce soft tissue swelling, inflammation, or restriction.
Corrective Exercises: systematic performance or execution of planned physical movements or activities intended to enable the patient or client to remediate or prevent impairments of body functions and structures, enhance activities and participation, reduce risk, optimize overall health, and enhance fitness and well-being.
Modalities: type of electrical, thermal or mechanical energy that causes physiological changes. It is used to relieve pain, improve circulation, decrease swelling, reduce muscle spasm, and deliver medication in conjunction with other procedures.
PT tech/aides: do tasks that are indirectly related to patient care, such as cleaning and setting up the treatment area, moving patients, and performing clerical duties
Citing:
http://guidetoptpractice.apta.org/
