20 Mar How to Treat Common Injuries With Physical Therapy

There’s a widespread misconception that physical therapy is only for those who are recovering from surgery or severe physical injuries. Well, that could not be further from the truth. In fact, anybody can benefit from physical therapy.

Whether you’re suffering from the discomfort of an ankle sprain or the aftermath of a grave accident, physical therapists can come up with the right treatments to help you get back in shape faster. You don’t even have to be injured to avail of their services!

Physical therapy is not only a treatment but a means of preventing injuries and illnesses as well. Here are some common injuries that your local physical therapists can help prevent and treat.

1. Pulled Muscle

If you’re into sports or leading a pretty active lifestyle, then you’ve probably experienced a pulled muscle once or twice in your life. Muscle pulls happen when muscular fibers are stretched beyond their limits. A good warm up before working out or playing sports can help prevent this, but there are plenty of other reasons why muscles get pulled including overuse, fatigue, and accidents.

Physical therapy helps in pulled muscle recovery and prevents them from reoccurring. While icing and rest tone down the swelling, they’re not enough. Gentle stretching of the affected area is necessary to gradually re-lengthen the fibers. Strengthening the surrounding muscles through physical therapy exercises can prevent pulls from happening in the same spot again.

2. Groin Pull

Your groin muscles – the ones that run on the inner side of your thigh to right above your knee – are responsible for pulling your legs together. They often get injured due to sudden side movements and lack of muscle flexibility. Groin pulls are such a hassle because they restrict lateral leg movements; making them painful and uncomfortable.

To treat the strain and lessen the bruising, you can ice the area for the first three days and then apply heat to it after. But ice and heat won’t suffice. You’ll need physical therapy exercises for proper groin stretching and improving range of motion to successfully relieve the condition.

3. Shoulder Injuries

Did you know that the shoulders are the weakest joint of the body? This explains why it so often gets injured. Shoulder injuries are diverse (there’s dislocation, muscle strain, misalignment, and ligament sprain), but anything that limits arm movement is sure to cause significant discomfort.

Physical therapy sessions, especially those that are focused on the strengthening, flexibility, and stabilization of the shoulder muscles, can greatly benefit those who are recovering from shoulder injuries.

4. Achilles Tendinitis

Being the largest tendon in the body, the Achilles has the colossal task of lifting the heel off the ground. Because of that, it’s prone to overuse and sometimes gets inflamed. When the Achilles tendon tears, it leaves the person in a tremendous amount of pain. As tendinitis is common among athletes, you may have witnessed it inflict suffering while watching sports on TV.

Minor Achilles tendinitis may be alleviated using the RICE treatment (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation), some stretching, and anti-inflammatory medicine. Torn tendons, however, may demand surgery.

Physical therapy for prevention and recovery from Achilles Tendinitis are focused on strengthening lower body muscles, particularly the quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

5.Wrist Aches

If your wrists ache every time you lift weights even if you’ve been through the mandatory warm-ups and stretches, the solution may be to start with less reps and regular rests in between sets. And if pain persists its recommended to get a second opinion from a physical therapist before any further damage is done.

There are many variables that can make wrist strength difficult to improve and many people resort to wrist wraps for extra layer support for lifting weights, pull ups and other high-intensity arm and wrist exercises.

Wellness Through Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is dedicated to relieving pain and promoting healing. It is a great way to improve total body functions through non-invasive means.

You can find physical therapists in a variety of settings. They are in hospitals, sports clinics, and nursing homes. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your condition is. If you’re having issues with normal body mobility, physical therapists can definitely help.