Though after an injury you’re probably eager to get back to your normal lifestyle, not taking the proper precautions and following through with the recommended treatment can slow your progress or even undo any previous treatment you have already received. One common rehabilitation technique recommended for people who have suffered serious injuries, recently undergone surgery, or suffered from a serious illness is physical therapy.
Sports injuries
Physical therapy is particularly helpful for injuries sustained while playing sports. Since these are pretty common, there are a number of sports medicine specialists who focus only on this area of treatment. Common sports injuries include muscle strains and sprains and bone breaks and fractures. The healing process for many of these can be lengthy, and it is important for athletes to go to sports physical therapy clinics specifically to train their injured parts back to normal functioning.
Work injuries
Believe it or not, one of the most common reasons that Americans need physical therapy is because of injuries they sustained on the job. A number of these are unexpected accidents, but even office workers who spend the majority of their time sitting in a chair can suffer from serious back pain that could progress into an actual injury. Office workers comprise much of the 80% of the population that is expected to suffer from back pain and typically need some sort of lower back rehabilitation due to poor ergonomics at work.
Unexpected injuries or surgeries
Another area of injury that often needs physical therapy is those sustained from unexpected accidents or surgeries, often as the result of falls, car accidents, or the like. Physical therapy exercises typically include stretching, weight lifting, walking, and core training.
There are about 21,000 physical therapy clinics in the U.S., so you should have little trouble finding one near you. You should always follow a doctor’s advice and complete your physical therapy with care.
What types of injuries have you received physical therapy for? Let us know in the comments. Read more here: sportmed.com