Oct 30, 2020
Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement. Dr. Jenna Snyder, physical therapist at United Rehab at UHC, explains why physical therapy is the right choice as it is National Physical Therapy Month.
1). Briefly explain for us what a physical therapist does.
Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement.
After making a diagnosis, physical therapists create personalized treatment plans that help their patients improve mobility, manage pain and other chronic conditions, recover from injury, and prevent future injury and chronic disease. You do not need a physician’s referral to make an appointment with a PT for an evaluation.
2). Why is it so important to make physical activity a priority?
Most American’s do not move enough. More than 80% of adults and adolescents do not get enough physical activity. Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants play a critical role in helping Americans of all ages and abilities achieve their physical activity goals, and improve their quality of life.
The good news is that regular physical activity is one of the easiest ways to reduce your risk of chronic disease and to improve your quality of life. By making physical activity a priority, it will help you to:
- Improve your memory and brain function (all age groups).
- Protect against many chronic diseases.
- Aid in weight management.
- Lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
- Improve your quality of sleep.
- Reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
- Combat cancer-related fatigue.
- Maintain muscle strength and balance.
- Increase life span.
3). Every year, millions of Americans use opioids to manage pain. Pain can be unrelenting, overwhelming, and all-consuming. So why do so many of us try to manage pain only from the palm of our hand?
That is a great question. First, doctor-prescribed opioids are appropriate in some cases, but these pills just mask the pain—and reliance on opioids has led to the worst drug crisis in American history. That is why the CDC recommends safer alternatives like physical therapy to manage pain.
Physical therapists treat pain through movement, hands-on care, and patient education-no warning labels required. By increasing physical activity, you can also reduce your risk of other chronic diseases.
This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.
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