tips for protecting your good health

A Guide To Getting Physical Therapy

28 September 2015 by Sasha Meyer

Did you know that each and every year, a staggering 50 percent of adults in the U.S. will endure some form of a musculoskeletal injury that lasts at least 3 months? In recent years, approximately 9 million adults received some form of physical therapy. If you are in need of physical therapy treatment, this means that you are not alone. If you want to be sure that you are able to get the most of your sessions and to understand what you are getting into, take advantage of this guide and use the tips laid out within. 

Know What To Expect From A Physical Therapy Session

Before setting up an appointment for a physical therapy session, you will need to understand the ins and outs of what might happen in such a session. First, you will receive an assessment which will detail the terms of your injury and receive a breakdown about how you will get the healing that you need. This may come based on a physician's reference, at which point your physical therapist will take x-rays, MRIs and a number of other information to give you the proper course of healing that you need. This will come in the form of some of the following methods: 

1. Manual therapy – this approach involves hands-on treatments, including stretches, massage and more.
2. Ice therapy – this features a number of cold compresses in order to reduce your swelling and inflammation.
3. Heat – this will take away pain and loosing your muscles and tendons.
4. Ultrasound – this will help you to loosen your muscle tissue so that it can build back stronger.
5. Exercise – this will help you strengthen the area that was injured and go home with some exercises that you can take with you the rest of your life.

Find The Right Physical Therapist

Now that you understand what you might be able to expect from a physical therapy session, you will need to do your best to find a qualified physical therapist to heal you. Check their credentials to make sure that they are highly sought after in your area. Make sure that during your consultation, their communication skills are top-notch so that you have clear goals and an excellent course of action to take that you understand completely. Further, be sure that they are always trying to get better and stay up-to-date with the latest tools, technology and practices in order to give the highest quality physical therapy sessions possible.

Give Your Best Effort To Get The Most Out Of Physical Therapy

To be sure you get the healing that you need, hold up your end of the deal. That means going to each and every physical therapy session scheduled and always prepare to work hard and get the most out of it. Wear some comfortable clothing, similar to what you would wear to the gym, so that you can get the most out of the sessions. Finally, take a notebook and write down the tips that your physical therapist outlines, so that you can take them with you to do at home and to continuously strengthen yourself, to get back into your regular life.

Follow this information so that you get the exact healing that you need, to move past your injuries and put your life back in order.

To learn more, contact a clinic like St. Luke's Rehabilitation. 

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