Not Your Grandma's Physical Therapy!
Apr 05, 2018We hear this too often:
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âIâll wait until Iâm injured to go to physical therapy.â
âMy shoulder hurts but Iâm just going to wait a few weeks and see if it goes away.â
âWhen my knee started hurting I went straight to the ortho surgeon for recommendations.â
âIâve had back pain for 15 years. It is just a part of being old; there is nothing they can do!â
Many people still picture physical therapy as the place your grandma goes when she has a hip replacement or after a shoulder injury where you perform simple band exercises for 6 weeks. Unfortunately, this leads people to think that physical therapy isnât for them.
If folks donât go to a physical therapist first, they go to their primary care doc or other medical docs. Many times they end up seeing an orthopedic surgeon who suggests expensive imaging that often elevates fear but also may lead to unnecessary procedures. Ok, so surgery is the extreme. Many times, people will wait a few weeks (or months!) to get it checked out. For most injuries or pains, physical therapy sooner rather than later will decrease the time it takes to get you back in the game and decrease your cost.
âBut what about those of us who have had pain for 6 months or 6 years?! You will see the best results from a movement specialist (thatâs us!) watching you moveâcarry objects, bend and lift, run, lift weights, etcâand correcting any dysfunction. Hopefully the surgeon suggests physical therapy first! Then you know where to call. âș
âPhysical therapy at Athletesâ Potential is different from your usual PT clinic:
- One on one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy
- One hour per visit
- Skilled hands-on techniques
- Personalized homework- not just therabands and hamstring stretches!
- No referral needed
Case Example: A middle aged, male patient with chronic shoulder pain for over 15 years! Imaging showed a massive rotator cuff tear and labral tear. Orthopedic surgeon was ready for surgery ASAP; just to be clear, this is a pretty severe injury so surgery is often first thing on the table. However, this patient wanted to try anything BUT surgery. After 12 weeks of commitment to rehab homework, coming in weekly for hands-on work and slow return to golfing, he was pain-free and beginning to have full range in his swing. Now a year later, he has no shoulder pain and a pretty solid golf swing. We focused on decreasing pain and improving function rather than harping on âfixingâ the tear. It takes patience, dedication and active involvement from the patientâbut it is possible!
All of this to say, if you have pain with sitting at your desk, picking up the kids or during your fitness routine, DONâT WAIT until it take you out of the game. The earlier we can address it, the sooner it will feel better. Less time and money than the other options!
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Why is physical therapy at Athletesâ Potential different? As Danny always says, if you have a body youâre an athlete. Your ârehabâ should prepare you to play with your kids on the ground and carry 15 grocery bags at one time! Pelvic tilts and therabands wonât get you there.
Give us a call and let us know how we can help YOU!
âThanks for reading,
â
Athletes' Potential
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Remember, Movement is Medicine!
