Seeing a physical therapist comes up in conversation most often when you get surgery or have an injury. But the truth is, seeing a physical therapist could be a great idea for numerous reasons. Physical therapy can help you with injury prevention, pain, mobility, strength, balance, neurological conditions, and maintaining an active lifestyle, OR for these lesser-known reasons like incontinence/pelvic floor conditions, vertigo/dizziness, jaw pain/TMJ/TMD conditions, chronic disease, and progressive conditions. To get the most out of your appointments, you need to know these top physical therapy tips:
1. You Don’t Have To Wait Until You’re Injured to See a Physical Therapist
Physical therapists exist to help people improve their lives and circumstances. Many people associate physical therapy with movement assistance, pain management, or injury recovery, but did you know that physical therapists can also help you with injury prevention?
Whether you play a sport regularly, are getting older and noticing issues with mobility or balance, or are simply an active person, it could be a good reason to seek physical therapy. Physical therapy can identify breakdowns in your movement, gait (the way you walk or run), and mobility, as well as address recurring soreness, stiffness, and weakness.
Plus, if an injury does occur, it’s important to get help while it’s relatively minor. If you wait too long, a minor issue can quickly become a major one that interferes more and more with everyday life and activities.
2. Pain Isn’t Always Something You Should Just Push Through
Have you ever felt like you should “push through the pain” and just continue with your day? It’s true that a little rest can sometimes be just what you need to recover. However, for pain that lasts more than a week, or chronic pain that’s been ongoing for over 3 months, it may be in your best interest to see physical therapy for pain management.
When you’re feeling pain, try to resist automatically assuming it’s not a big deal because you can still work or exercise through it. You may need to rest it, or in many instances, you may need to work with a physical therapist to figure out the cause and get a plan for recovery that will help you through the pain and ensure you heal faster.
If you’re unsure of the best way forward, you can request a free injury screening and get evaluated at any of our clinics (prescription not required).
3. Your Everyday Habits Can Affect How Your Body Feels
You may not think much about your daily routine or your habits, but did you know that they could be the reason behind your discomfort? The way your body moves and feels can be tied directly to your everyday habits. For example, are you sitting, standing, or staying in one position for a long period of time – like sitting at a desk job? That stillness can lead to stiffness or general discomfort, muscle imbalances, and injury over time.
Reminding yourself to keep active throughout the day, even by simply changing positions from sitting to standing while working, can help prevent your body from getting sore.
Meeting with a physical therapist can help you identify habits or movements that may be contributing to your pain or discomfort.
4. What You Do Between Physical Therapy Appointments Matters
If you’re in physical therapy but only do the exercises during appointments, you’re missing the chance to keep improving and best support your healing. Doing the physical therapy exercises that your therapist recommends for home is key to overall healing. Consistency is incredibly important, and this may be one of the most important keys to success in physical therapy.
That being said, if you feel as if you are unable to do the exercises correctly, aren’t sure what form to take while doing the exercises, or experience unexpected or increasing symptoms or pain while partaking in these exercises, it’s important to pause and bring it up to your physical therapist at your next appointment. They can review the exercise with you and suggest ways to modify it to work best for you.
Following your physical therapist’s recommendations for daily movement and habits is also important to support your healing.
5. Your Physical Therapist Wants to Know What Goals You Want to Reach
Your goals for physical therapy may look very different from another patient’s. This is why it’s important to be upfront with your physical therapist about what you want to get back to. Everyone wants to get their pain score to zero, but successful physical therapy can also mean reaching smaller goals too.
Having mini goals along the way can help you feel more accomplished in your recovery journey and keep you motivated to keep up with home exercises and be consistent with physical therapy.
These goals might include running pain-free again, returning to a sport, getting through a workday comfortably, feeling confident using the stairs, or even playing with your grandchildren.
Whatever your goals may be, be sure to bring them up with your physical therapist so they can keep them in mind as they work with you on your treatment plan.
When Should You See A Physical Therapist?
When to see a physical therapist depends on a few factors. If you’re experiencing pain, recurring or new injuries, or recovering from surgery, physical therapy is typically encouraged to help you get back on your feet faster.
But seeing a physical therapist is more than just about pain reduction. You can also get help if you have mobility issues, reduced balance, weakness, or any of the issues above. (See the full list of ailments we can help with here)
Stay Active With Help From Active Physical Therapy
Active Physical Therapy, located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Marquette and Ishpeming, is here to help with any physical issues that keep you from doing the things you love.