benefits of Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy for many is the powerful link between injury and full return to high level performance. Physical therapy is physical medicine. Athletic goals, personal goals, activities of everyday living, stress management, load management, and overall recovery can be achieved through a physical therapy program. What exactly is physical therapy though and how can it benefit you?
With the multitude of resources out there in relation to recovery, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and health and medicine, for the motivated individual looking for a trustworthy clinician and practice to assist them in reaching their goals, the search can be overwhelming. As a physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach, and yoga instructor I have had the pleasure to assist many in returning back to what they love through physical medicine. One conversation I constantly come across is “how is a physical therapist is a unique and valuable addition to someone's team”.
A physical therapist is a medical practitioner who is licensed to guide individuals with a wide variety of diagnoses and injury from musculoskeletal, neurologic, cardiovascular, multisystem, and more to their maximum recovery. Physical therapists work in a variety of different settings where they function in helping improve physical function.
Physical Therapists are trained and equipped with a long tool box of treatments that are evidence based and widely studied. These treatments include but are not limited to soft tissue work (not massage, but skilled work to assist in mobilizing a specific area hypothesized to be restricting or causing symptoms), exercise and strength and conditioning, different modalities, equipment, exercise science, breathing techniques, joint mobilizations and manipulations, and emergency response/ first aid techniques.
A tailored physical therapy plan looks at all of your factors from your past medical history, to social history, physical history, relative injuries and symptoms, and goals to then pick and choose the best treatment plan and realistic timeline to reach those goals.
In physical therapy I have had the pleasure of guiding athletes to high level performance, post op hip replacements to full recovery, terminally ill patients to full physical recovery, weekend warriors back to what they love, and even goals of just walking up the stairs and getting back to household chores and tasks. We neglect to realize how important our physical function is until it's lost and impaired. Whether you choose to be part of Olympia Physical Therapy and Perfomance’s team or hangout with another clinician or practice, you're making a powerful decision with your health.
