Getting the best physical therapy for your body’s joints and muscles

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physical therapy

In life, we all go about our day knowing moving from one place to another. Whether it means we have to go to work, to the gym, to the store to get groceries, or even do something as simple as picking up the mail, we are all active in some regard. As we start to get older and sometimes less active, our muscles and joints will have a harder time keeping up, which will result in discomfort and pain that normally allow us to perform everyday tasks.

Our bodies consist of thousands of muscle fibers that are formed into groups, with each group performing a specific function or movement. Sudden changes in activity or intensity could put too much stress on the muscle groups involved, leading to injury. Injury, especially at an older age, could prove to be fatal, leading to severe complications which can also result in having surgery or taking medications. Most of the time after a muscle, joint, or bone surgery, you’ll need Physical Therapy to improve your mobility.

What Is Physical Therapy?

Physical Therapy, also known as physiotherapy, is one of many medical professions carried out by physical therapists to promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, patient education, physical intervention, rehabilitation, disease prevention, and health promotion. Popularly known as physiotherapists, these healthcare professionals provide a lot of services. These services are provided by experienced and highly-qualified physicians, who are professionals licensed by the state in which they work. Physical therapists must have a master’s degree or a clinical doctorate from an accredited institution and sit for a licensing exam in order to practice.

All new students in this profession are now required to get a doctorate. They are trained to assess your condition and help you regain maximal functional mobility and independence. They use a variety of treatment modalities and techniques to help you move better and feel better.  Your treatment is highly personalized specific to your injury, surgery, and your body.

Physical therapy has been proven to help you recover quickly and safely, and it can also save you money due to increased overall healthcare costs.

Some common problems that physical therapists evaluate and treat may include strokes, fractures, spinal cord injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, sports injuries, amputations, and arthritis.

Physical therapists can treat many other problems in addition to these. When an injury or illness occurs that limits your ability to move about safely or normally, an appointment should be made with a therapist.  Physical therapists work closely with patients, healthcare providers, and family members to ensure a safe and rapid return to maximal function.

Causes of Joint Pain

One of the most common causes of joint pain is arthritis. The two main forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It progresses slowly and tends to affect commonly used joints like the wrists, hands, hips, and knees.

Joint pain due to osteoarthritis results from a breakdown of the cartilage that serves as a cushion and shock absorber for the joints.

The second form of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. It most commonly affects women than men. It can deform and weaken the joints over time. Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, inflammation, and fluid build-up in the joints as the body’s immune system attacks the membrane that lines the joints.

Other causes of joint pain could be lupus, gout, and certain infectious diseases. This joint pain could also include an injury, infection of the line, and in most cases, overuse of the joint

Ways To Treat Joint and Muscle Pains

Once you have a diagnosis, you can learn about treatment options for your specific type of joint pain. These may include oral injections, medications, diet changes, exercises, nutritional supplements, hot and cold therapy, acupuncture, yoga, deep breathing techniques, drug therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, and surgery.

Physical therapy does much more than relieve pain. It promotes joint mobility, strengthens and stretches muscles, and can have a long-term benefit for chronic pain.

Where Can I Get Physical Therapy?

Physical therapists work in different places such as private practices or within a hospital system. Physical therapists are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, sports teams, and sometimes schools or universities. 

Physical Therapy is also provided as home health care in various situations such as for those who cannot leave the house due to illness or injury. Physical therapy is also found in cardiac rehab centers.

What to Expect During Physical Therapy Sessions

Physical therapists use many techniques to help you decrease pain and stiffness, improve motion and strength, and improve mobility. Biological agents such as heat, ice, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation may be used.

Manual techniques are often used to help improve mobility, while physical therapists often use therapeutic exercise to help people gain range of motion, increase strength, and improve function. Patient education about a condition or illness is paramount to the practice of physical therapy, and therapists may use charts, models, and diagrams to help you understand your diagnosis and prognosis.

You may also be given modifications to make or exercises to do at home.

Physical Therapy is post-care to many surgeries.   Not only does physical therapy help make our joints pain-free and increase how we perform tasks in our daily lives, but have many other medical advantages.

At Family Medical Centers, we ensure you and your family will be provided with the top-qualified physicians to help with your pain and discomfort. Our goal is to get your body functioning in the best way it can as a result of our physical therapy sessions.