Physical rehab is the process of using physical techniques to improve mobility, minimize pain and stiffness, speed up healing and recovery, and therefore increase the quality of life. Also referred to as physiotherapy or physical therapy, this rehabilitation process takes a holistic approach that teaches patients to directly take part in their own recovery and care.
However, physical therapy often seems intimidating to most people, but it should never be scary. For today’s article, we’ll give you seven reasons why you should not be afraid of physiotherapy.
7 Features of Physical Rehab That Makes It Less Scary
You Don’t Need Referrals To Get Evaluated
Most people’s main concern regarding physical rehab is the need for prior tests and consultations with physicians to obtain a referral. Although talking to your doctor is good and always encouraged, consultations can cost extra. To reiterate, you can see a physiotherapist at any time. During the consultation, make sure to tell your physiotherapist about past injuries, how much exercise you do, and major health problems among others.
It Is Not Painful
Contrary to common belief, undergoing physiotherapy is not painful. As a matter of fact, the main goal of each session is to minimize pain and discomfort, especially for patients with chronic pain or other illnesses. Your physical or occupational therapist will only work within your pain threshold to help you heal, recover, and restore your overall wellness.
It Helps You Recover
Physical therapy rehabilitation offers various services and techniques to address various concerns. It can help minimize chronic pain and facilitate post-surgery care and recovery. It can even prevent future surgeries if the treatment is able to manage pain and improve mobility. Physiotherapy has also been used to improve diabetes, vascular conditions, and heart and lung diseases.
It Prevents Future Injuries
Often, we think that physiotherapy is only for injuries, surgeries, and accidents. This is not the case. Therapists know and understand how various activities like sports can heighten the risks for specific types of injuries. Physiotherapists are trained to design the appropriate prevention exercises to ensure your body is in top shape to continuously perform tasks and activities.
It Improves Mobility
Because of certain factors like bad posture, and wrong movements, we can experience trouble standing, sitting, or walking no matter what our age is. Physical therapy can help with this through stretching and strengthening exercises to help restore the ability to move. Apart from this, physiotherapists can recommend the right assistive device like cranes and crutches for patients who need them. Moreover, therapists can also provide recommendations and orthotic prescriptions should the patients need them.
You Have Someone To Guide You
Recovering by yourself from an injury, accident, or surgery is no small feat. It can definitely be frustrating and overwhelming and can lead to negative beliefs about yourself and the world. By going through physical therapy and rehabilitation, you will have experts partnering with you to provide care and guidance on your recovery process. Through their specialized education, clinical expertise, and the latest available data and research, physiotherapists will be able to evaluate your situation and recommend programs to fit your needs and also teach you how to take care of yourself.
It Can Be Tailored For Your Needs
As mentioned, physical rehab is not just used in addressing injuries and physical trauma. No matter your age, physiotherapy can help improve mobility, balance, and overall physical wellness. It can also be used to prevent future accidents for people with high fall risks, avoid further surgeries, and prevent occupational injuries at work or in sports. Physical therapy can be used for pregnancy care, cardiovascular improvements, age-related issues, and more. Talking to a licensed physical therapist will definitely help in getting the right treatment programs for your specific needs.
Additionally, most insurances have some form of physical therapy or rehabilitation coverage. Beyond the coverage, physiotherapy has proven to reduce further costs by helping patients avoid unnecessary procedures like imaging scans, surgeries, and prescription drugs.
What Should You Expect In A Physiotherapy Session?
Physical therapists diagnose and manage various conditions in the bones, muscles, nerves, and other parts of the body. They help improve lives by giving information on chronic diseases, providing lifestyle advice, recommending exercises, and aids to manage or relieve their health condition.
During a session, physical therapists will:
- massage certain areas of the body
- Stretch and strengthen your muscles
- manipulate your joints
- give you exercises to execute
Through these activities, a therapist will be able to evaluate your condition and help you with your physical concerns, whether they are caused by accidents or injuries or not.
For children, physical therapists will also teach and empower the parents to take part in their child’s recovery and overall improvement of life.
Why Choose Physical Rehabilitation?
Physical issues like injuries and chronic pain often persist throughout our lives. Often, they impede daily functioning and contribute to disturbed sleep, depression, and anxiety. Persisting physical issues can also mean inflating healthcare costs, apart from overall poor quality of life.
Passive recovery or more commonly known as rest and inactivity has been a common treatment for a broad range of physical problems for many years. The main idea is to limit the movement of certain body parts or the sources of pain to allow them to heal or simply to not worsen the ache.
Physical rehab provides the complete opposite of this through active recovery. Active recovery means performing movements and exercises to manage and even reduce aches and discomfort brought by chronic pain, injuries, and other physical concerns. It is also a holistic approach that empowers patients to actively participate in their healing process.
Passive and active recovery treatments are both used and recommended for recovery. Depending on your current health and with the proper guidance by a certified professional, keeping an active recovery workout routine has little to no adverse effects. Plus, it has been proven to have added benefits to the overall well-being of a person.
Physical Rehabilitation For Wellness in Long Beach
The right physiotherapy treatment looks different for each person. If you or your loved one is looking for a physical rehabilitation center or preliminary evaluation and recommendation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at Roots Through Recovery.
Why choose Roots? We offer a wide selection of programs from physical therapy programs to mental health services. Here at Roots, we embrace the culture of wellness that is at the heart of Long Beach, a city that offers a uniquely diverse community for healing the mind, body, and spirit.
Come visit us at 3939 Atlantic Ave, Suite 102 Long Beach, CA 90807, or call (866) 766-8776 for immediate assistance.
