If you or a loved one have suffered a stroke or traumatic injury or had surgery such as a joint replacement, you may think that medical treatment is what is needed to get you back to living the life you love. And while it is true that medical treatment can help put the pieces back together again, it is physical therapy that trains and retrains the body and mind to work together to restore and maintain physical function and mobility.
Although physical therapy, commonly known as PT, has been used since the early 1920s, it wasn’t until the mid-1940s that it spiked in popularity and demand. The American Physical Therapists Association contributes the rise in demand to a severe outbreak of polio and the physical effects of war on soldiers during World War II. Doctors began to see the positive results of using physical therapy in treatment plans for injured soldiers or patients diagnosed with polio. The benefits to both injury and illness survivors have been consistently praised since that time.
By helping retrain and restore (rehabilitate) the joints and muscles, a physical therapist can help cut down recovery time and the lasting effects of injury or illness. The Washington Post published an article on the rapid recovery time shown by injured athletes compared to the average person. They contribute much of that rapid recovery to the “immediate” application of physical therapy.
Physical therapy is delivered by highly trained medical professionals called physical therapists, or PTs. Today, PTs are crucial elements of the health care team and most have doctorate level degrees. The American Physical Therapy Association says it best: “PTs are educated in understanding the interaction of all your body parts. Their hands-on approach begins with examination, diagnosis and treatment of the immediate problem. Then they teach you how to take care of yourself by showing you how to do exercises and how to use your body properly to gain strength and mobility and prevent recurring injury. They advise on proper posture and body motion in the workplace, treating injuries, consulting on fitness and administering physical therapy in the home. Today, physical therapists provide help for every part of the body to everyone from infants to the elderly – more than one million people every day!”
Physical therapists can also help in injury prevention by working with patients, like athletes, to increase their physical mobility and joint health. They teach patients how to properly reach fitness goals while avoiding injury and not overwhelming the body. This kind of physical training is helpful in improving the body’s durability and helps target specific muscle groups needed for specific actions and moves.
Five things PTs are experts at doing:
1
Working closely with their patients and the patients’ physicians to create personalized plans for recovery and prevention.
2
Developing the best movement and program that targets muscle imbalances, range of motion, alignment issues and more.
3
Speeding up recovery utilizing additional tools of the trade such as ultrasound, icing and heating treatments, water therapy, dry needling, electric stimulation therapy, massage, compression, rolling, Kinesio taping and more.
4
Assessing the risk of injury by identifying weaknesses and poor movement habits.
5
Correcting alignment and posture issues.
And while there are many places you can access physical therapy, the best way to make sure you get quality and focused care is to choose a facility dedicated to physical therapy and rehabilitation. This is especially important following a traumatic injury, illness or surgery that requires hours of therapy each day for several days or weeks. A rehabilitation hospital is an ideal setting for receiving the widest range of physical therapy options available. FBN
By Sydnie Bahl, DPT
Sydnie Bahl, P.T., D.P.T., is the director of Therapy Operations at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona.
Rehabilitation in Northern Arizona
The highest quality rehabilitation care is available right here in Northern Arizona – no need to leave home. The newly opened Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona, a member of Ernest Health, is the only rehabilitation hospital in the region, serving all of Northern Arizona.
Located in Flagstaff on McMillian Mesa, the 40-bed rehabilitation hospital provides intensive rehabilitation services to people recovering from disabling diseases or injuries, such as strokes, brain, spinal cord and orthopedic injuries. Short-term rehab focuses on rebuilding strength, retraining muscles, regaining speech and rewiring the brain. Treatment plans are individualized and most patients participate in a minimum of three hours of physical and occupational therapy a day.
For more information, visit rhna.ernesthealth.com or call 928-774-7070. Follow on Facebook at Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona.
