It is never too late to start physical therapy. Even when a person may have struggled silently with a particular pain for years, they may well experience dramatic improvements over even just a short course of treatment. One of the best aspects of physical therapy is that when performed professionally it will provide a tailored and structured program than exactly matches the patient’s needs. Experts will identify the cause of the problem and discuss treatment options and timeframes on an individual basis. Even common conditions such as arthritis and sciatica need to be treated with precision and utmost care.
No matter whether the patient is still capable of living independently or is residing in full-time care, appropriate physical therapy can make a huge difference in terms of quality of life. Being able to move freely and without debilitating pain is the ultimate target and physical therapy can deliver quite incredible results.
Individual Programs & One on One Care
The best physical therapists will initially conduct an all-encompassing health review that will look towards isolating the cause of pain before formulating a suitable treatment plan. You should expect to have the same expert helping you throughout all stages of the treatment, and it has been proven many times over than personable care leads to more beneficial results.
It is difficult to estimate exactly how many visits will be required over each treatment plan as this will vary on a case by case basis. Usually, physical therapy sessions run for between 30-60 minutes, and your therapist will discuss their frequency and duration in terms of a number of weeks. The key to successful physical therapy is to work the issue just enough to help it strengthen and heal but not to cause any unnecessary stress, so it is important to keep up with basic daily exercises and routines as your expert prescribes. Usually, these are very light and require no supervision or assistance.
Is Physical Therapy Painful?
One of the reasons why one-on-one treatment is recommended is because it opens up better avenues of communication compared to group therapies. Patients should expect some early treatment to be potentially uncomfortable – and make sure that their therapist is made aware of these pains right away. Depending on the needs of the program and the overall health of the patient some discomfort ought to be anticipated but certainly not what most people would consider being acute pain.
There are plenty of physical therapies that actually require very little movement whatsoever and are perfectly painless. Electrical stimulation, NeuroGym technologies, and hot/cold treatments are very benign and often delivering impressive results even after just a couple of sessions. Massage is often used as part of the treatment plan to gently stimulate blood flow and help strengthen damaged or stressed tissue.
Expect Long Term Results
All physical therapy is directed towards strengthening and rehabilitating the muscular-skeletal system. Posture is a key aspect, and working on such basics can deliver astonishing results. As the treatment is entirely non-invasive and requires no surgery or pain killing medication whatsoever, it will help regain mobility and the strength to perform everyday tasks.
Ongoing care depends on the needs of the patient. When the first stages of treatment are completed the results will be assessed and it is then up to the patient to decide their next plan of action. No good therapist will allow a patient to leave without making provisions for how they can continue the exercises they have learned at home under their own steam. Refresher treatments can be scheduled to meet your needs and these are recommended when it is clear that specialized therapies (especially NeuroGym) have been especially effective.
Patients should feel free to maintain regular ongoing communications with their therapist so they can keep up to date with the progres
