What is physical therapy and rehabilitation?
Physical therapy helps you recover after injury, illness, or surgery. It helps to heal muscles, joints, and connective tissues when they’re damaged or weakened. It also promotes the growth of stronger new tissues and keeps everything flexible and elastic.
Undergoing a comprehensive rehabilitation program with a physical therapist at Dr. Richardson’s practice has many benefits, including:
- Improved circulation
- Faster healing
- Reduced inflammation
- Improved range of motion
- Reduction in pain
- Stress relief
- Improved mood
If you don’t use them, your muscles, ligaments, and tendons get weaker and can start to shorten. On the other hand, overuse or using these tissues in the wrong way can delay healing and could make your problem worse.
Physical therapists have specialized skills and knowledge so they can design a rehabilitation program that provides exactly the right combination of treatments to optimize your recovery.
Dr. Richardson recommends physical therapy to his patients and has an expert physical therapist at his practice.
What types of physical therapy are there?
There are many kinds of physical therapy. Some of the methods that could form part of your rehabilitation program include:
- Soft tissue mobilization
- Joint mobilization
- Therapeutic exercise
- Balance training
- Functional training
- Strength training
- Electric stimulation
- Ultrasound
- Mechanical traction
- Moist heat
- Cold packs
You might sometimes need assistive devices to help you during the first stage of your rehabilitation, for example, crutches, walkers, canes, or braces. Your physical therapist can show you how to use these devices correctly.
Some physical therapies are active, where your therapist teaches you how to carry out your exercises safely and correctly. Other methods are passive, so you receive treatment such as therapeutic ultrasound or electrical stimulation while at rest.
When would I need physical therapy and rehabilitation?
You need to undergo physical therapy if you had an injury to any part of your musculoskeletal system. This includes injuries such as:
- Fractures (broken bones)
- Ligament tears
- Tendon ruptures
- Meniscal tears
- Joint dislocations
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Joint instability
Physical therapy can also be highly beneficial if you have chronic musculoskeletal pain from conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
If you have surgery, for example, a hip or knee replacement, you need to follow a rehabilitation program afterward to help the tissues heal. You need to build up strength in the muscles and ligaments around the new knee or hip so you can take full advantage of having a pain-free joint.
The duration of your rehabilitation program varies according to the nature of your condition, your age, and how well your body recovers. You might need a few months of rehabilitation after surgery or an acute injury. For a chronic condition, you might need to have physical therapy on an ongoing basis.
Find out more about the physical therapy and rehabilitation services available by calling the office of Andrew B. Richardson, MD, today or booking an appointment online.
