We hear a lot these days about people like sportsmen with injuries getting physical therapy to somehow get relief or alleviate pains. But do we understand what takes place in these clinics or do we know what exactly the physiotherapist does to bring relief to severe ligament and muscle injuries?
Let’s face it; an accident can happen at any time and anywhere, therefore it is safe to say that a physical therapist has a lot of work to do daily. The truth is you will have your work cut out for you if you intend to live a normal life with an injury from either a sports-related activity, injuries from work or school, or an automobile accident. There is too much hurt and pain to go through your day-to-day life suffering from pain when you stand, sit or walk and you may not even be able to move your limbs properly due to your condition. Don’t worry, as Naples FL Physical Therapy will help to restore and maintain the movement of all your limbs and body parts so you can live a normal life.
Many people have testified about the assistance that they received from physical therapy clinics. For example, one young man twisted his shoulder while traveling on a bus. The pains were terrible and most of the time he was in agony. However, the use of painkillers soothed the pain making it less, but he still suffered immensely from excruciating pain and discomfort. Not long after, he thought it a good idea to visit his family physician who recommended that he saw a physical therapist. When he did, he testified that although the initial stages of the therapy were painful trying to do stretches, exercising on pulleys, and 20 minutes of heat treatment, he was rejoicing at the end of the therapy sessions as he could go home and enjoy the use of his shoulder again.
The physical therapist needs to take an accurate and detailed patient history to be able to properly evaluate the problem. This includes performing certain function tests and taking meticulous measurements to assess the problem. Some examples of tests could be coordination tests, joint motion, muscle strength, balance, flexibility, sensory and neurological tests, palpation, postural screening, movement analysis, and other specific tests designed for specific problems. After evaluating the results of these tests, the therapist will then come up with the best treatment plan to help the patient recover and attain his goals of overcoming whatever dysfunction is present.
Part of physical therapy services includes teaching patients how to operate devices designed to assist in their mobility like wheelchairs, crutches, or other equipment at work or at home to allow patients as much independence as possible. Therapists check out the patient’s environments and advice them on the best, safest, and most convenient ways to confer their surroundings for their utmost productivity.
Some of the treatment protocols used in these programs include electrical stimulation, hot and cold packs, therapeutic exercises, ultrasound treatments, training in functional activities, traction, whirlpools, UV rays, infrared, TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), intermittent compression pumps and more. There must be regular weekly treatment sessions for the program to take effect, as well as concerted effort and participation on the patient’s part.
Other useful techniques to aid in recovery at Naples Florida Physical Therapy include massage, neuro-development, and joint mobilization to stimulate soft tissue flexibility and maintain joint mobility. As the patient progresses, therapists continue to apply the best therapeutic concepts and treatments as appropriate at that stage of the recovery.
Nonetheless, the period of your recovery will ultimately depend on your determination to work on the injured area, as some areas of injury will naturally take longer to heal while others will take a few days. Where the injury is located should also be considered when undergoing physical therapy, mainly because there are some areas like your lower back and neck that is sensitive to injuries and may even result in neurological damage. However, if there is no neurological damage then you may be able to function without much difficulty.
If you are seriously injured even with the great help of physical therapy, you may still be unable to return completely to the place where you once were, because you will have irregular pains frequently that could last you a lifetime.
The truth is, your trainer may have done his best in your physical therapy sessions to get your limbs working properly, however, you will still have to put in the necessary work to get cured quickly. Moreover, you will need to be consistent and complete the exercises as directed by your physical therapist for the sessions to be effective. You will need strong and diligent determination to get your muscles and ligaments working in a normal way.
