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Physical Therapy – it’s more than just for “Broken Bones”

What is Physical Therapy? The definition of who Physical Therapists are and what they do is often a broad and not well understood concept, and it changes based on personal experience. You may think: “where I would go after I sprained my ankle playing basketball”, or “the person who helped my Grandmother walk in the hospital after her knee replacement”. Like these two very different experiences, Physical Therapy covers a vast number of settings with a variety of different treatment techniques throughout the world.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) defines PT’s as “highly educated, licensed health care professionals who… [use a variety of] treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function and prevent disability.” ¹ This definition, however inclusive, still leaves a lot of questions when really trying to explain all the ways PT can be utilized. This post is an inside look at some of the unique and less commonly known ways that PT can be utilized to PROMOTE your personal health and wellness, as well as PREVENT pain or unnecessary doctor’s visits.

THE GYM

You don’t have to be in pain to benefit from PT services; maybe that random clicking in your shoulder isn’t as harmless as you think? We have all made that New Year’s resolution that we will go to the gym more, or maybe to try a new running regime. Or maybe you’re trying to start back into an old program after an injury? In any case, PT’s are a great addition to the team to help you reach those goals. PT’s are extensively educated on the physiology of exercise, the risks/benefits of different exercises, as well as proper running and weight lifting form. Unlike other exercise professionals, PT’s also have the exclusive knowledge of how each muscle responds to injury, and can evaluate and correct dysfunction and/or imbalance. What better way to start your healthy lifestyle off right, than with the skilled professional who can determine how you’re moving, and more importantly how you SHOULD be moving.

DESK JOBS

As it turns out, our bodies weren’t made to sit using a computer for 8+ hours per day, and your body may already have started to tell you that. That occasional episode of neck pain when you wake, or that achiness in your low back when you are sitting too long, may actually be more harmful than you think. Recent studies have demonstrated that within 10 minutes of sitting at a computer, your posture already begins to deteriorate³. So before you start to suffer from chronic neck and back pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, or any of the other various overuse injuries, you should talk to the experts in postural education. PT’s have a special skill set in which they can spot dysfunction before it causes pain, and have the knowledge to correct it. Let us help ensure that you have a safe and pain-free work day!

HEADACHES

Headaches are one of the most common types of “pain” that people experience. Like most causes of pain, headaches can have numerous causes, such as nerves, blood vessels or muscles and joints, and the first line of treatment is commonly medications². While some types of headaches do require medication or a physician’s visit, a large percentage are muscular or joint related. Many of the muscles and joints surrounding the head, neck, and shoulders can get tight, stiff, and irritable with poor postures and overuse. Each of these muscles and joints has specific areas of the head, face and jaw that they can refer pain to, which is commonly interpreted as a headache. Luckily, studies have shown that physical therapy is an effective way to decrease the frequency of these headaches, and to a lesser degree the duration and intensity².

DIZZINESS

Almost everyone has experienced dizziness upon standing up too fast. However, for many people these symptoms can continue for more than a few seconds, lasting hours or even days. There are many possible causes of dizziness and imbalance, such as vestibular/inner ear dysfunction, blood vessel compression and more commonly, dizziness stemming from underlying cervical dysfunction. With cervical-based dizziness, the joints, muscles and ligaments are the cause of dizziness along with other possible symptoms, and often these symptoms will increase with neck movements⁵. Physical Therapists are trained to evaluate all the different types of dizziness to determine where your symptoms are coming from, and the necessary treatment to get you back to your life.

SURGERY and SCAR TISSUE

Every time a surgeon cuts, a scar is formed. These scars are similar to an iceberg, where the scar may look small on the surface, but actually extends throughout the entire incision to where the surgery was performed. When scar tissue is formed, the body produces it in a disorganized way and the tissue may adhere to nearby structures, restricting motion⁴. This can leave you feeling very stiff, and can even create pain in surrounding structures due to the scar tissue. Seeking Physical Therapy to help mobilize these scars and restore motion is an important part of recovery from any surgery, whether you had Cardiac surgery or a knee replacement.

Physical Therapy doesn’t have to be the last resort when you’ve grown fed up with pain. New York State has direct access to PT services, meaning that you can see a PT without going to your doctor first. So, give us a call today, and let your new Physical Therapist be part of your health care team, promoting correct and pain-free movement with your daily activities, and preventing serious injury later on. And if it’s too late and you’ve already experienced an injury, let us get you back to your life and work to prevent future injuries!

Contact us at www.premierptny.com to learn more and schedule an appointment with a physical therapist.

Lauren Carleton, DPT

1. American Physical Therapy Associated Website: http://www.apta.org/AboutPTs/
2. Chaibi A and Russell MB. Manual therapies for primary chronic headaches: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. The Journal of Headache and Pain. 2014; 15(67).
3. Falla D, Jull G, Russell T, Vicenzino B and Hodges P. Effect of Neck Exercise on Sitting Posture in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain. Physical Therapy, April 2007; 87(4) 408-417
4. Hardy MA. The Biology of Scar Formation. Physical Therapy. 1989; 69(12): 1014-1024.
5. Yacovino DA and Hain TC. Clinical Characteristics of Cervicogenic Related Dizziness and Vertigo. Semin Neurol. 2013; 33:244-255.