11 Conditions that Benefit from Physical Therapy

Chances are you, or someone you know, has done physical therapy (PT) during your life for one reason or another. Physical therapy is a tried-and-true healing modality. Each year, more than 500,000 physical therapists in the United States provide over 300 million PT sessions for patients of all ages.

While physical therapy is common, do you know about the many conditions that physical therapy can address? In this blog, Caryn McAllister, PT, DPT, and the team of movement experts at High Quality Home Therapy take a deep dive into physical therapy to highlight eleven conditions that benefit from PT.

Physical therapy explained
Physical therapy is a treatment modality that addresses mobility issues using a personalized menu of exercises, education and manual therapies. Despite the reason for seeking treatment, the premise behind this approach is the same – targeted exercise promotes healing and provides overall health benefits.

Our highly trained physical therapists at High Quality Home Therapy tap into a unique blend of neurologic, orthopedic, and psychologic evidence-based strategies to create effective personalized treatment plans.

Our treatment plans include innovative exercises and integrative physical therapy approaches to enhance physical performance, mental health and well-being, and the patient’s overall quality of life. 

Many benefits of PT
One tenet of our practice is to take a holistic approach to therapy. We don’t zero in on one body part but treat the whole patient to maximize long-lasting results.

Patients who engage and complete their physical therapy treatment plan may benefit in many ways, including expedited healing, restored mobility, enhanced agility and balance, improved strength, and higher levels of quality of life.

A versatile treatment
For most people, when they think of why someone would go to physical therapy, the first thing that pops into their head is some trauma like a car accident, which results in whiplash or other injuries. Although patients who have been in vehicular accidents can benefit from physical therapy, PT can be for anybody and everybody! PT has a plethora of applications.

1. Aging bones and joints
   Aging can do a number on your bones and your joints. PT can help. For example, conditions like osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, can benefit greatly from physical therapy. With joint issues, exercises focus on joint mobility that doesn’t excessively strain the joint.

A nice side benefit is while doing physical therapy, key muscle groups get strong, which supports areas of weakness and improves bone density.

2. Balance and agility issues
Similarly, physical therapy is the perfect treatment modality to address instability and agility issues. Muscle strengthening shores up a strong foundation by enhancing balance, flexibility, and agility. 

3. Frequent falls
   Physical therapy benefits have a layered effect, which makes it particularly well-suited for patients who suffer frequent falls. Essentially, when your muscles are strong, you are steadier on your feet and more flexible and agile; you are less likely to suffer from falls.
4. Rehabilitation after a stroke or surgery
   Another physical therapy scenario is rehabilitation for a traumatic life event like a stroke or surgery. This type of trauma wreaks havoc on your body and can reduce your mobility, range of motion, strength, and flexibility.
5. Back and neck pain
   Chronic pain, especially back and neck pain, is common in the United States and takes a toll on quality of life. An estimated 80% and 90% of all Americans experience chronic pain in the neck or lower back. Physical therapy can relieve pain by strengthening related muscle groups to enhance range of motion – all without using prescription painkillers.
6. Migraines, headaches, concussions and vestibulopathy
   Vestibular rehabilitation helps people who present with dizziness, vertigo or balance problems. Sometimes, people who suffer concussions require vestibular physical therapy. Similarly, you can treat debilitating migraine headache pain with physical therapy. By addressing postural and mobility issues, physical therapy may decrease pain and mitigate future episodes of migraine headache pain. 
7. Muscle sprains or strains
   Enhancing muscle strength and agility through physical therapy also helps reduce pain by reducing inflammation from excessive stress or strain on your ligaments, muscles, or joints. Physical therapy helps alleviate pain from sprains and strains and reduces injury risks by strengthening your muscles and core.
   
   8. Tendonitis
   Tendonitis typically reduces the range of motion in particular muscles or joints, resulting in conditions like a frozen shoulder. Physical therapy can restore and enhance the range of motion while strengthening muscles and joints.  
8. Pelvic floor dysfunction   

Whether it’s pelvic floor pain, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, erectile dysfunction, interstitial cystitis, piriformis syndrome, incontinence of bowel or bladder, pain with sex, or core weakness, our pelvic floor specialists can get to the root of the problem and help you manage your symptoms. 

Physical therapy can help you learn to coordinate muscles, strengthen what’s weak, and loosen what’s tight. Pelvic floor rehab results in improved bowel, bladder, and sexual function, all important to overall health and well-being.

10. Connective tissue disorders

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and other connective tissue disorders can wreak havoc on the body. While there is no cure for connective tissue disorders, physical therapy can help patients manage their symptoms, such as pain, joint hypermobility, and fatigue. 

Skilled providers can help engage muscle activation using methods to prevent discomfort, aiding people to gain strength, endurance, and stability. Why suffer when you can have the support of a knowledgeable body and movement expert?

11. Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury and other neurological conditions 

Neurological rehabilitation includes physical therapy that maximizes the firing of muscles responsible for functional movement. People with Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, TBI, SCI, and more may struggle to find the right physical therapy that can address all the issues associated with their condition(s). 

Our physical therapists, trained in neurology and psychology, work with the whole body and help you achieve your best. With our Physiogait, we can help those who cannot walk independently stand upright and work on gait training safely. Neuro rehab involves person-centered physical therapy, which means addressing the whole person - body and mind.

Call High Quality Home Therapy in Stamford, Connecticut, today or use our online tool to schedule an appointment if you suffer from pain or a condition preventing you from living a productive life and want to know if physical therapy is right for you.