At first, they may wonder exactly what benefits they will get from what may sound like an over glorified exercise class. And while both of these types of therapy may seem like an exercise class, they both offer several benefits that help ease and even eliminate pain.
The Benefits Of A Physical Therapy Program
A physical therapy program may provide exercises that are focused on restoring the patient's normal and natural flexibility or joint mobility. They exercises will restore the patient's normal strength while they ease the patient's discomfort and pain.
One of the main things a physical therapy program will do is educate the patient on how to perform daily tasks safely and walk with or without assistance like a cane, walk or another device.
The Benefits Of Any Therapeutic Program
When it comes to treatment for arthritis or other conditions that cause pain, exercise is an important part when done properly. A routine that is designed by a physical therapist will be most effective when they are performed every day. As a patient's pain improves and their needs change, the therapist will alter the program routine accordingly.
A range of motion exercises will include gentle movements for the specific joints that are causing the patient's pain by relieving the stiffness. It will also improve their joint movement and by maintaining the exercise routine, it will increase the patient's flexibility.
The Variety Of Ways A PT Helps Pain
The physical therapist will create strengthening exercise that will increase the patient's muscle strength and preserve them too. The routine may include isometric exercises that strengthen and tighten the patient's muscle. As uncomfortable as it may sound, these types of exercises are the most useful when the joints feeling painful because the muscles around the joints are being strengthened.
Another type of exercise routine a physical therapist may prescribe for a patient is water exercises. For years, it is a well-known fact that warm water can help relieve pain while it helps the muscles to relax. Water exercising does not necessarily require the patient to swim.
There are many helpful water exercises that can ease a patient's pain as they stand in water that is shoulder-high. The water will support them by decreasing the body weight that is applied to their feet, legs, joints, and spine. As the water supports their arms and legs it also helps their joints move through the range of motion exercises that the physical therapist creates.
The process of thermal modalities is where ice packs and/or heating pads are applied. This will relieve the patient's local pain. The heat application helps to relax any muscle spasms just as taking a warm bath prior to exercising can help loosen muscles so the patient can exercise easily.
For a patient to avoid experiencing pain from joint surgery, a pre-op program may be recommended. Here they will receive education as well as an exercise regimen to start before their surgery. This is usually done as an outpatient therapy patient and then will continue at home.
After their surgery, the exercises may be changed in the hospital to accommodate their needs while in a rehabilitation period and may be recommended to add them to their normal exercise regimen. Many times after joint surgery, a patient's exercise abilities improve.
Another way a physical therapist will help a patient with joint pain is with joint protection techniques that reduce the stress on joints that are affected by arthritis. The patient is still able to participate in daily activities with this type of therapy.
Some of the ways that joint protection techniques work are by the patient losing and then controlling their weight. This will eliminate the extra stress that weight can cause and bears on the joints like back, feet, hips, and knees.
The therapy will teach the patient how to be aware of their body's position and how to use good posture to protect their back as well as the joints in their feet and legs. The patient will learn how changing positions will eliminate their pain and stiffness.
A physical therapist will educate a patient on conserving their energy by taking rest periods throughout the day and during activities. And most important of all, they teach a patient how to respect their pain as a signal from their body that something is wrong.
Audrey has been a Freelance Writer for 8 years. She lives with her husband of 38 years in a small North Texas town. They have 3 grown children, 5 grandchildren. They find antique stores, flea markets, garage sales, and resale shops to be a necessity as they rest
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