If you were injured in an auto accident, suffered a work-related trauma, or a slip and fall accident in New York, you may have considered seeing a physical therapist. But do you realize how helpful seeing one of these specialists can be? By learning more about what physical therapists do, you will have a better understanding of how they can help you after an injury at work or a car accident.
Physical therapists treat a range of human body disorders, including injuries to the neurological, integumentary, cardiopulmonary, and musculoskeletal systems. Physical therapists regularly work with people after injuries and surgeries and people who have limited movement. They work with people in a range of situations and all ages.
A physical therapist will typically examine patients before treating them. This helps the therapist to understand your unique situation. They then develop a plan to help improve and restore mobility and functionality.
Physical therapy regularly involves stretching and exercise, as well as various hands-on techniques and pieces of equipment.
Treatment can also include:
Like other healthcare professionals, physical therapists customize their treatment plans for each patient based on their specific needs. Expect them to ask you about your injuries as well as your goals for treatment.
Getting physical therapy after a car accident or workplace injury can deliver the following benefits.
One of the most critical ways physical therapy can help after an injury or accident is by speeding up the recovery process. Your physical therapist will start by identifying what parts of your body need the most recovery. This means that you will start receiving the most effective treatment as soon as possible.
Of course, the simple fact that you receive expert treatment as part of physical therapy will also help the injury heal more quickly.
As you start to heal from physical therapy, you will also notice that your pain reduces. This comes from the way that physical therapy involves gentle movements in the injured areas. Those gentle movements encourage your blood to flow to the injured areas. As a result, more oxygen and other nutrients required for healing move to that part of your body.
Because physical therapy reduces your pain from the accident or injury, this gives the added benefit of reducing your reliance on medications. Given that many strong painkillers can be highly addictive, this can help prevent that type of dependence. Even in non-addictive pain medicines, the reduced need for them lowers the risk of experiencing side effects.
When you injure a part of your body, it can be incredibly tempting to rest it excessively. That is especially true if it hurts or is uncomfortable to move. However, you need to balance that rest with some movement. Physical therapy accomplishes this thanks to its use of exercise and stretches. Remember that if you rest a part of your body too much, your muscles may suffer the effects of disuse, such as stiffness and pain. This may also slow down the recovery process.
When you injure a part of your body, it can be incredibly tempting to rest it excessively. That is especially true if it hurts or is uncomfortable to move. However, you need to balance that rest with some movement. Physical therapy accomplishes this thanks to its use of exercise and stretches. Remember that if you rest a part of your body too much, your muscles may suffer the effects of disuse, such as stiffness and pain. This may also slow down the recovery process.
It is pervasive for injuries to lead to a loss of strength. Sometimes, this will be due to damage, but it can also happen because of pain, stiffness, or lack of mobility. Those factors encourage you to rest the injury more than you should, causing the relevant muscles to lose strength.
Physical therapy, however, overcomes this issue by helping you strengthen the injured areas. This helps prevent disuse-related injuries. It also prevents you from overexerting another part of your body to compensate for the lack of strength in the injured area. Strengthening your injured area also helps reduce the risk of reinjuring it.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment with an experienced physical therapist near you.
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