For some conditions, your doctor recommends you undergo a physical therapy program. That’s a great idea because physical therapy treatments assist people of all ages in their recovery from and managing a wide array of injuries, surgeries, and ongoing medical conditions.
Let’s talk about some of the many ways a physical therapist can help you move, stay independent, and improve the quality of your life, and where you can go for physical therapy in Mount Ayr, IA.
What Is Physical Therapy
Physical therapy treats manage and prevent problems associated with congenital or acquired deformities, traumatic or repetitive use injuries, and acute or ongoing diseases or conditions. PT works with musculoskeletal health and function, cardiovascular health and function, and the neurological system as well.
It can happen before undergoing surgery to improve tolerance for the procedure and recovery afterward. Or, patients may get therapy after an injury, surgery, or diagnosis of a medical condition has occurred.
Using real measurements of strength, flexibility, endurance, function, and mechanical and sensory skills, your physical therapist can help you:
- Manage pain
- Improve sensation
- Avoid falls and other injuries
- Walk more safely and effectively
- Accommodate deteriorating skills
- Train for and lay your sport more effectively and safely
Each physical therapy patient undergoes a detailed functional capacity evaluation, or FCE, which yields valuable information about a range of motion, strength, coordination, flexibility, balance, and more. In fact, most physicians–perhaps most notably, orthopedic specialists–emphasize the importance of physical therapy for complete recovery from long-term illness and complex surgeries, such as joint replacement.
How Can My Physical Therapist Help Me
Your physical therapist will work with your primary care physician and other providers to understand your overall health, presenting injury or condition, and possible therapeutic outcomes. He or she also will evaluate your abilities and limitations and ask you what goals you wish to achieve through therapy. An example would be safely climbing and descending stairs and slopes. Another would be to decrease pain and dependence on strong pain-relieving medications.
Then, your therapist will formulate a plan which can include a variety of hands-on therapies, assistive devices, and exercises, including:
- Ultrasound and temperature (heat and cold) therapy
- Stretching
- Strengthening and endurance exercises
- TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
- Active and passive range of motion, stretching, and strengthening exercises
- Bracing, taping, and other kinds of support interventions
- Massage therapy
As you progress through your care plan, your therapist will adjust the elements of your therapy depending on your input and the results of additional FCEs. Accordingly, good communication between you and your physical therapist is very important. Be sure to ask questions throughout your course of therapy as well.
Physical Therapy at the Ringgold County Hospital Rehabilitation Department
If you have an injury or condition that may benefit from physical therapy, or if you would like to give physical therapy a try to improve your strength, flexibility, and endurance, look no further than Ringgold County Hospital (RCH) in Mount Ayr, Iowa. Our expert physical therapy providers can consult with you, understand your health needs, and recommend the most appropriate treatment.
For more information about therapy at Ringgold County Hospital, call our friendly staff today at (641) 464-3226.
