Anyone can seek the services of a physical therapist. The chances go up if you are physically active or have sustained injuries. While it's easy to deal with minor aches and injuries, significant injuries and disturbances might require better and more specialized remedies.
Physical therapy can help you relieve the pain, promote healing, and allow you to resume your normal physical activities. But how do you know it's the right time to go for physical therapy? Observe these critical signs.
1. You Are Experiencing Pain That Doesn't Go Away
After vigorous exercising or physical activity, it's normal to experience some pain and muscle cramps. With continuous exercises or rest, your body slowly adapts, and the pain subsides. It should take about two to three days for the pain to wear off.
However, the pain might continue even with rest and ice pack therapy. This could be a sign of a severe physical injury. Therefore, it is best to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist for assistance.
2. You Are Experiencing a Sharp Pain
Do you feel some unexplained and reoccurring sharp pain in your joints, back, or neck? The pain is similar to that of stings or pokes that repeatedly come and go for a long time. The pain usually emanates from long periods of dormancy, heavy physical training, or sometimes heavy lifting.
Sharp pain can paralyze your body's mobility and become worse if left untreated. If you have this problem, consider seeking physical therapy for help. Physical therapy will identify the source, alleviate pain, and promote healing.
3. Your Prescribed Pain Medication Isn't Effective
Conditions such as scoliosis and sciatica can make life unbearable due to joint and back pain. Physical trauma and injury also cause pain and discomfort that your doctor may prescribe pain medication to help you cope with the inflammation. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work as expected. If your pain medication fails to yield results, consider coupling the method with physical therapy.
4. You Are About to Go Under the Scalpel
Do you have a planned surgical operation? You can benefit from pre-habilitation procedures to prepare your body and mind for the surgery. Your chances of having a smooth recovery period mainly depend on how well you prepare before and after the surgery. A physical therapist may even get you the results you need to avoid surgery altogether in some situations.
Are you going through any of these signs discussed above? These are clear indications that you might want to consider physical therapy. A customized treatment program will help you alleviate all your pain and discomfort.
