08 Jan Is Physical Therapy Right For Me?

If you’ve trained at our facilities in the Financial District or Midtown East, then you may have noticed our physical therapy services. Teresa Olczyk is our resident therapist, specializing in orthopedic pre-post surgery and injury. You’ve probably seen her about the clubs and maybe even wondered whether you could benefit from physical therapy yourself, but never quite got around to looking into it. Well, in this article we’ll explore exactly what it involves and whether it might be right for you…

What Is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy can help you to restore movement or function to a part of your body that isn’t performing as it should. If you’ve been affected by injury, illness, or disability, it can help to reverse or relieve your symptoms. It can also play a crucial role in reducing your risk of illness or injury in the future.

Physical therapy or ‘physio’ can involve manual therapy, self-administered exercises, or education and advice. It follows a holistic approach to wellness by taking account of how the body works as a whole instead of focusing on individual aspects of an illness or injury alone. Whatever form it takes, you can be sure that the treatment is tailored to your specific needs and health (or injury) situation.

What Can Physical Therapy Help With?

Physical therapy can benefit a wide range of people. Many of us associate it with aiding bone, joint, and muscle conditions, but it actually has much wider applications. If you have a health condition affecting any of the following, then physical therapy may help…

• Heart & circulation  - such as rehabilitation after a heart attack
• Bones, joints & soft tissue  -  including shoulder pain, neck pain, back pain, or sports injuries
• Lungs & breathing  - such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Brain or nervous system  – including movement problems that can result from Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), or a stroke

At CompleteBody our physical therapist has over 20 years of experience in orthopedic treatment. This means she is a specialist in bone and muscle conditions, which makes her particularly adept at working with sports and fitness-related matters. If you’re dealing with any of the following, then she can help…

• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Back pain
• Knee injuries
• Ankle injuries
• Sports injuries
• Preventing future injuries

The last point is one that’s often overlooked when it comes to physical therapy. Not only can it help with existing injuries, but also prevent new ones from occurring (or old ones reoccurring) too. This can make it especially important if you’re training for a specific event with a fixed deadline, such as a marathon or triathlon. Physical therapy can help to improve your sporting capabilities, while also helping you to prevent further injuries.

What Does Physical Therapy Involve?

Physical therapy can involve several approaches, including education, self-administered exercises, and manual therapy. Education usually consists of advice and guidance about things that may affect your daily life. This could be considerations like your posture, and correct techniques for lifting or carrying that can help to prevent injuries.

Self-administered exercises may be recommended for you to carry out on yourself at home or in the gym. They are tailored to your specific health or injury needs, and can improve your overall mobility or strengthen specific areas of your body. Manual therapy is what springs to mind when most of us think of physical therapy. It involves the physical therapist using their hands to encourage improved movement of the body, and relieve pain or stiffness.

Before you begin physical therapy, you’ll be asked questions about your symptoms or pain, and ability to carry out everyday tasks or move in different ways. We’ll need to know about your medical history in order to assess your needs and create a suitable therapy program. Things like how well you sleep will also be taken into account.

Your physical therapist will also conduct some simple tests to measure how well you walk, stand, or climb stairs, and how you move around, bend, reach, or grasp things. Depending on the outcomes, you’ll then receive a customized treatment plan that addresses any necessary areas.

Is Physical Therapy Right For Me?

Physical therapy is the perfect aide to the overall wellness of our bodies. At CompleteBody we provide expert rehabilitation via our physical therapy offices in Midtown East and the Financial District. Our aim is to provide high quality care to patients who need to recover from injuries or reduce pain. Best of all, we accept various types of health insurance so you have one less thing to worry about.

Teresa Olczyk is our in-house physical therapist who specializes in orthopedic pre-post surgery as well as injuries. She holds a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and has over 20 years of experience in rehabilitation and orthopedic services. If you’ve noticed or been diagnosed with any irregularities related to your bones or muscles, then Teresa can probably help. Get in touch with her using our online contact form or ask at reception for more details.