physical therapyPhysical Therapy Benefits

After you’ve had an orthopedic surgery or injury, the last thing you feel like doing is exercising and moving that painful part of your body. You may be worried about making things worse. But rest assured, your doctor knows best. The benefits of starting and continuing a physical therapy regimen post injury or surgery are long lasting.

Avoid Surgery
A physical therapy regimen can delay or remove entirely the need for surgery to correct orthopedic injuries. There are many kinds of injuries for which physical therapy and rest can be just as effective as surgery, such as partial tears or strains.

Reduce or Eliminate Pain
Physical therapy can reduce the amount of pain your injured body part causes. This decreases the need for drugs to manage pain and improves your quality of life.  It is also an effective way to manage the pain of arthritis and general aging.

Improve Your Mobility and Range of Motion
Physical therapy can make you able to move easier, with more confident motions. You will be able to walk easier, put away dishes, garden, and perform other daily living activities with confidence and comfort. Physical therapy improves your flexibility and ability to move with fluidity.

Avoid Future Injury
You can get in the habit of favoring a painful or injured body part, which can cause balance problems or can make you more likely to trip or fall.  Imbalanced or improper movements can cause other injuries over time, such as sciatica, lower back pain, or knee and hip problems. Physical therapy helps you learn safe movement and decreases the chance of additional injury.

Improve Your Strength
Physical therapy can help you regain and improve your strength following an injury. It builds up strength in the muscles and joints around an injury or surgical site, and that strength can provide long term stability in an affected joint or limb.

Reduce Risk of Blood Clots
Physical therapy improves your circulation and keeps blood from pooling in a single location. This decreases the risk of blood clots in or around an injury or surgical site. Reducing the risk of blood clots reduces the risk of other severe post surgical complications.

Faster Healing and Recovery
Physical therapy improves your healing and recovery after a surgery or injury so that you are able to return to your normal life more quickly and with fewer restrictions.
If your doctor believes that physical therapy is the right treatment choice for you, he or she will help you choose the right physical therapy provider for your injury or post surgical care.  Our providers at Hampton Roads Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine have physical therapists on staff that work with our doctors to provide comprehensive orthopaedic care to our patients.  Contact us at hrosm.com or 757-873-1557 to make an appointment with one of our physical therapists today!