Why Physical Therapy, and When Should I See a PT?

Waking up in the morning, thousands of people across metro Atlanta are faced with immediate neck or back pain, joint stiffness, or muscle soreness. As it turns out, many pain sufferers never think of calling a physical therapist for an appointment or consultation. When is the right time to call a physical therapist (PT) versus a chiropractor, orthopedist, or general practitioner?

As a licensed physical therapist practice serving northeast Atlanta in our Flowery Branch and Dacula facilities, Back in the Game Physical Therapy wants to help you understand the immense advantages of seeing a physical therapist first. Here are ways that physical therapy may help you control or prevent pain before other specialists need to get involved:

• Avoiding surgery: A lot of people think of physical therapy helping someone recover from surgery, but PT can actually help you avoid surgery. By working with a physical therapist, you can reduce or eliminate the pain that might push you to surgery. Physical therapy is also significantly less expensive than surgery, so your wallet will also be glad you avoided intense surgery by working to heal an injury or eliminate pain using physical therapy. 

• Improving balance: One of the biggest concerns as we age is maintaining balance and preventing falls. Physical therapy starts off with a fall risk screening so that we can challenge your balance in a safe and effective way. If you suffer from dizziness or vertigo, physical therapy may help restore your vestibular functioning, which may eliminate these symptoms. 

• Preventing injury: Similar to how physical therapy may help someone avoid surgery, PT may also help prevent injuries. Athletes experience different types of injuries, and a licensed physical therapist understands how to reduce the risk for the specific physical activity or sport you participate in. For example, if you are a distance runner, we can help you to prevent stress fractures using appropriate recovery and prevention exercises to keep you safe and healthy.

• Managing cardiac and pulmonary diseases: Suffering from heart disease or pulmonary disease is scary. If you have experienced a heart attack or a cardiac procedure, daily functioning may be improved through physical therapy. Pulmonary symptoms may also be reduced by physical therapy; a physical therapist can help you to improve your quality of life through strengthening, conditioning, and implementing breathing exercises.

• Reduce or eliminate pain: Obviously, the most common reason that our patients come to see us is to reduce or eliminate pain. Physical therapy exercises and techniques, such as soft tissue mobilization or electrical stimulation, can help to relieve pain, restore muscle strength and flexibility, and improve joint function to reduce your pain. 

Physical therapy can help so many people, but not everyone may understand all the benefits of PT. We hope that by better understanding physical therapy, you will begin to see improvement in your health, your athletic performance, and your overall life. If Back in the Game Physical Therapy in Flowery Branch and Dacula can help you in any of these ways, please schedule a free physical therapy consultation to see if physical therapy is the right option for you!