What is physical rehabilitation?
More often than not, there’s no such thing as a truly localized injury or condition. Your body is a complex musculoskeletal system that’s designed with integrated parts, each relying on the other for full function. So, when you sustain an injury to your knee, for example, the surrounding muscle, nerves, and other soft tissue are often strained in their efforts to compensate for the problem.
The goal of physical rehabilitation is simple: to restore function to your body. Through the physical therapist’s techniques, you not only restore function to your injured area, you also build up the surrounding components to shoulder some of the burden and to prevent re-injury. Dr. Nick and his team accomplish this with:
- Mobility exercises
- Strength exercises
- Balance exercises
- Flexibility exercises
- Massage therapy
- Chiropractic adjustments
What can physical rehabilitation treat?
Dr. Nick recommends physical rehabilitation for a number of physical problems, such as:
- Back injury
- Knee injury
- Shoulder or neck injury
In fact, any time an area of your body is injured, the best way to recover is to work with your body’s natural resources to rebuild and strengthen, which is why rehabilitation plays such a critical role in post-operative care. If you’ve had a hip or knee replacement, the physical therapist works with you so you can learn how to best function with the replacement.
Another crucial role of good rehabilitation is the part it plays in avoiding re-injury or complications down the road. The physical therapist creates a customized program that targets your weakened area, as well as the surrounding areas, maximizing your body’s ability to protect itself.
Is rehabilitation only done in-office?
After reviewing your problem and coming up with a customized treatment plan, the physical therapist sets up in-office rehabilitation sessions that allow you to work one-on-one with a professional, using specialized equipment. These sessions are also building blocks for work you can do at home.
After each session, the physical therapist provides you with at-home exercises that build upon the in-office work, allowing you to regain your mobility and function more quickly.
It’s important, however, to follow the physical therapist’s at-home instructions to the letter. If you try exercises on your own, without the consent of a medical expert, you may do more harm than good.
