Most people think of physical therapy as recovery methods that patients use to get back to their previous condition after an injury or surgical procedure, and do not realize why physical therapy is important for everyone. Physical therapy and/or chiropractic treatment at Total Health Systems can accomplish more than you might imagine.
It’s not just those who have undergone a surgical procedure or sustained an injury who can benefit from physical therapy. For example, people who suffer chronic pain, caused by conditions such as arthritis, can benefit from PT. A variety of conditions that you might never expect can be treated with physical therapy. Furthermore, PT can be employed to prevent conditions that cause pain from occurring in the first place.
Benefits of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can be used to treat existing conditions and/or prevent future problems. It can help you to control chronic pain without the use of opioids that can lead to dangerous drug addictions. It can help you to delay surgery or sometimes avoid it altogether. As you get older, PT can help you manage age-related medical problems, and doing physical therapy can also improve balance and mobility at any age, which can help you avoid injury due to a fall.
List of Diseases Treated by Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can help treat a wide range of conditions. Some of the diseases that physical therapy can treat are ones that you might expect because they affect muscle movement and/or the skeletal system:
- Sports injuries
- Tendonitis
- Arthritis
- Whiplash
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Frozen shoulder
- Epicondylitis (i.e., tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow)
- Cerebral palsy
- Muscular dystrophy
- Post-stroke paralysis
- Neck pain
- Running injuries
- Rotator cuff injury
- Repetitive strain
You may be familiar with physical therapy to treat injuries from a motor vehicle accident or to recover from surgery. Physical therapy is also commonly used to treat neurological or neuromuscular conditions, such as spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s disease.
However, there are some conditions that you might not be aware that physical therapists can treat. In fact, you may not even have heard of some of these conditions unless they affect you or someone you know.
Lymphedema
Common after cancer treatments that involve removal of lymph nodes, lymphedema is swelling caused by a blockage in the lymphatic system in which fluid builds up in your arms or legs. A physical therapist can wrap the affected limb(s) in compression bandages or perform lymphatic drainage massage to control the swelling.
Vertigo
If you experience a sensation of spinning even while perfectly still, sometimes accompanied by nausea or vomiting, that is called vertigo. The most common cause of vertigo is a mechanical dysfunction of the inner ear, often resulting from trauma. A physical therapist can move your head and neck through a very specific maneuver that puts the components of your inner ear back in place.
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Your TMJ is the joint where your skull and lower jawbone connect. If you place your fingers in front of your ear and gently open and close your mouth, you can feel it moving. When the soft tissues at the TMJ become inflamed or strained, it can cause pain and difficulty chewing. Physical therapy can reduce pain, improve joint alignment, and address postural issues that may be putting pressure on the TMJ.
Urinary Incontinence
Many people, women especially, develop deconditioning, spasm, or weakness of the muscles of the pelvic floor, causing an embarrassing condition of urinary incontinence. A variety of techniques, including pelvic floor exercises and biofeedback, can correct this.
Be an Active Participant in Your Health and Wellness
Physical therapy recovery is a collaboration between you and your physical therapist at Total Health Systems to treat conditions and improve your overall health. Contact us today through our convenient online form.
