Did you know that physical therapy can improve your quality of life? I’m Paul Silovsky, physical therapist and owner of Rebound Physical Therapy. Today, I’m going to explain what physical therapy is and five major reasons that you would want to get a physical therapy evaluation.
What Do Physical Therapists Do?
Physical therapists are able to take a look at you and determine the causes of your pain and/or loss of function. We do a comprehensive evaluation of the sources of your functional problems (those relating to the movement or motion of the body) and/or any painful conditions you may be experiencing. And we have a number of ways of treating those conditions:
- Manual therapies
- Heat or ice
- Ultrasound
- Electrical stimulation
- Laser treatments
We either move you ourselves or get you to move yourself in a better, more functional way to improve your quality of life. That’s a very broad description without getting into any particular pain or disability, but it’s essentially what we do.
Why You Might Need a Physical Therapy Evaluation
Now, I’m going to give you five major categories of conditions that we can treat. If you are experiencing any of these conditions, the physical therapy evaluation process can lead to a specific treatment plan that will help you achieve your functional or pain goals and improve your quality of life.
1. Chronic Pain
The number one reason people will come in to see us is because of painful conditions that have persisted over the short term or long term that decrease their ability to function the way that they want to in life. If you’re experiencing chronic pain, a physical therapy evaluation can give you relief.
2. Limited Range of Motion
You might have limited mobility or a strength condition that’s affecting your range of motion or your ability to function the way you want to. This can come from all kinds of disorders related to muscles, tendons, ligaments, connective tissues, nerves, joints, or bones.
3. Traumatic Injuries or Post-Surgical Complications
If you’re healing from a traumatic injury or recent surgery, our physical therapists know how to get you back into the game faster than if you tried to figure it out yourself or let your body heal on its own. Your body will heal naturally post injury or post-surgery, but we can help you heal in an organized way that gets you back in action faster and with fewer complications.
4. Balance or Vertigo Disorders
Some people experience vertigo where the world is spinning, or they just have simple balance problems. If you don’t seem to be able to stay upright or lose your balance more frequently than you used to, a physical therapy evaluation can determine why that is. And if you frequently feel dizzy and like the world is spinning, that is a little different than a straight-up balance disorder, but we can help with that, too.
5. Neurological Disorders
There are a myriad of neurologic disorders a physical therapy evaluation can assess, like nerve injuries, strokes, spinal cord injuries, and different diseases that affect the nervous system. Our physical therapy team can help you recover from neurologic disorders in an organized way so you can heal and get back to living your life.
Call Rebound Therapy for an Evaluation
The goal of physical therapy is to decrease pain, increase function, and get you back in action. The first step is a thorough evaluation from a physical therapist to determine the causes of these issues and find your body’s strengths and weaknesses. We’re going to build on what you do well and then give you an organized program to get you back into action. For more information, give us a call. We’ll go over more about what a physical therapy evaluation can entail for you, and if it’s right for you, we’re happy to help.
Tags: Physical Therapy, Physical Therapist, pt, physical therapy clinic
