Physical therapy is often called PT. It diagnoses and treats movement disorders. Physical therapists assess patients and then develop personalized plans with them using a variety of techniques to improve function and mobility, pain relief, and quality of life. Physical therapy is not passive. Many plans offer strengthening and stretching exercises that patients can do at home.
How it works
Physical therapy does not treat symptoms. It aims to fix the root cause of pain and movement restrictions to provide long-term relief. Poor posture and weak core muscles could be the cause of back pain. These can be addressed by exercise. To alleviate arthritis-related knee pain, strengthening the muscles around your joint can help.
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A physical therapist may offer hands-on treatment to treat a problem area. This could include ultrasound therapy, dry needling, and manipulation of the skin. This last technique uses a needle without medication to insert through the skin into the muscles to activate trigger points or release pain.
Assistive devices may be prescribed by therapists, such as braces for a knee injury or splints to treat carpal tunnel syndrome.
Colleen Louw is a physical therapist and spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). She also serves as the program director for Therapeutic Pain Specialist Certification for Evidence in Motion. “Physical therapists increasingly adopt a biopsychosocial approach to treating patients.” Our goal is to educate patients to help them understand their pain and decrease their fear of moving so that they can return to normal life.
Chronic pain symptom relief
Louw says that physical therapists see a lot of chronic pain conditions, including lower back pain, fibromyalgia and knee arthritis. Physical therapy has recently been highlighted as a treatment option that can reduce opioid overuse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended physical therapy as one of the first options for pain management in its draft guidelines. According to the draft guidelines, there is strong evidence that exercise therapy (a popular modality in physical therapy for back pain, fibromyalgia and hip or knee osteoarthritis) reduces pain and improves function within two to six months.
A scoping review revealed a link between early PT interventions in pain conditions such as lower back pain, joint and orthopedic surgery recovery, and a lower likelihood that a patient would be prescribed opioids.
Numerous studies have shown that physical therapy is effective in the treatment of certain chronic pain conditions.
- Knee Pain: A study showed that patients suffering from osteoarthritis of their knees who had received steroid injections at the same time as those who received physical therapy had lower levels of pain and functional disability after one year.
- Sciatica: A study showed that patients suffering from sciatica back pain who were given physical therapy following their initial diagnosis had less disability and more intense back pain than those who weren’t.
- Chronic Pelvic Pain Physical therapy can also be used to treat persistent pelvic pain. Patients who had suffered from gynecological carcinomas were examined and found that pelvic floor physical therapy resulted in a decrease in pain, improved sexual function, and reduced symptoms.
General Health and Wellness Benefits
There are many uses for physical therapy, including post-surgical recovery and fall prevention. Physical therapists can treat many health problems, including stroke recovery, pelvic pain and chronic fatigue syndrome.
PT’s main goal is to help people overcome obstacles that keep them from becoming more active. This is important because research has shown that increased exercise and physical activity can improve a variety of health conditions, including mental and physical ones. It also reduces overall mortality. Louw says that movement is medicine.
How to Use it
Physical therapy can be provided by licensed physical therapists. It is widely available in hospitals, private practices and pain clinics. Virtual appointments are becoming more common for physical therapists.
According to the APTA, your primary care provider can refer you or you can call a physical therapist without a referral. Some physical therapists are trained to treat chronic pain.
Are PT fees expensive? Is PT covered by my health insurance?
Many insurance policies, including Medicare, Workers’ Compensation, and Private Insurers, cover physical therapy services that have been deemed medically necessary. These services are provided by licensed physical therapists or licensed physical therapist assistants under the supervision of a physicaltherapist.
What to Expect
Comfortable clothing allows you to move and stretch freely during your appointment. The physical therapist will ask you questions about your current condition and health history during your first appointment. The physical therapist will conduct a thorough exam, which includes a review of your strength, flexibility, balance, and other symptoms. They may also screen for signs and symptoms like unusual warmth or loss sensation, which could indicate a spinal nerve problem and require referral to a physician.
They might use their hands to touch the area of concern. The physical therapist may ask you to do everyday activities such as standing or walking, in order to observe how your body moves. Your physical therapist will review your goals and create a treatment plan with you after the exam.
You will usually get homework in addition to your sessions with your physical therapist. Your physical therapist might show you exercises to practice or coach you on how to do your daily activities more effectively.
Take into account
Physical therapy may cause you to be afraid. People with chronic pain often fear moving. Louw says that people with chronic pain are often afraid to exercise because they fear that it will make their condition worse. Louw says that trusting the patient is the first step. This can be achieved by gradually increasing the exercises, one at a time, so that the patient feels safe and able to move again. Talk to your physical therapist if you feel discomfort or pain. They may be able to modify your treatment or recommend strategies like icing to reduce swelling. Louw says Louw might recommend that a patient suffering from knee arthritis exercises in a pool to help reduce the strain on the joint.
To keep up with the prescribed exercises, PT requires self-discipline. APTA states that you will only get as much out of your physical therapy sessions as what you put in.
