Physical therapists are specialists who help people return to their normal level of physical strength, agility, and mobility after an accident or injury. They create an individualized treatment plan based on your musculoskeletal issue or injury.
Often, physical therapy is the first line of treatment for an injury. It's a conservative step that can help you avoid surgery or allow you to regain your normal range of motion and activity level when surgery is not an option. Physical therapy is also part of rehabilitation after surgery.
Physical therapists work in coordination and at your orthopedist's direction to ensure the best, speediest, and most effective individualized treatment plan. The expert orthopedic team at Tuscaloosa Orthopedic & Joint Institute explains the importance and benefits of physical therapy after an injury.
Part of an individualized treatment plan may include soft tissue mobilization. This manual therapy technique allows the therapist to work on muscles, ligaments, and fascia to loosen them in order to provide pain relief.
The relief you find from manual techniques may help you eliminate or reduce the need for opioids.
After an injury or surgery, your muscles and joints can be stiff, making mobility and stretching challenging. A physical therapist can devise a safe stretching and strengthening routine to improve your flexibility and mobility.
Athletes are more likely to experience an injury if they've already had one. A physical therapist can assess muscular imbalances, strength and flexibility weaknesses, limb asymmetry, and activity techniques to help address any issues that may contribute to injury or reinjury.
Through strengthening and functional exercises, the therapist can reduce your risk of heading back to the doctor with an injury.
Having surgery requires time off from work, pain, money, and months of rehabilitation. For some injuries such as meniscal tears, rotator cuff tears, and ACL injuries, physical therapy can be just as effective. Talk to your doctor to determine the best way to treat your injury.
If you do need surgery for your injury, part of getting back to your prior strength and mobility is rehabilitation during your recovery. Physical therapy often helps you regain your strength, flexibility, and mobility.
Have you been injured? Call Tuscaloosa Orthopedic & Joint Institute to make an appointment with fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bryan King for a comprehensive sports medicine consultation. You can also send a message to Dr. King and the team here on this website.
