Physical therapy can help patients in a variety of ways

Physical therapy (PT) is an area of medicine that is poorly understood, even in the medical community.

I can’t begin to tell you how many patients come for their first appointment and say something like, “‘PT’ stands for ‘pain and torture,’ right?” Others say, “I don’t know why I’m here, but my doctor wanted me to come, so here I am.”

To take it a step further, I have spoken with several medical staff who think that physical therapists perform the same treatment with every patient or only see patients after post-op joint replacements.

None of these ideas fairly represent the scope of physical therapy. By definition, physical therapists are experts in the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems of the body and desire to use that knowledge for prevention, wellness, and injury recovery.

You already know that you need physical therapy after having had a stroke or very involved surgeries like rotator cuff repair, ACL repair, or knee replacement. But, did you know that there is PT to treat vertigo, headaches coming from neck strain, jaw popping and clicking, male and female reproductive health, incontinence, chronic muscle spasms, running injuries, Parkinson’s disease symptoms, osteoporosis, fluid retention in the extremities (lymphedema), poor posture, neck pain, back pain, and more? In fact, the primary reason that people come to see me for physical therapy is because they have some lasting pain and they don’t know what they did to cause it.

In most of these cases, the cause is biomechanical or postural in nature. The individual is either performing a repetitive motion or position that causes an abnormal amount of stress or strain on joint, muscle, ligament, or nerve tissue that is not able to withstand the load. It may be caused by working at a desk job, driving with poor mechanics, or always raking the yard or holding a baby the same way every time without giving each side of your body equal opportunity, thereby forming an imbalance.

If you have been to a physical therapist who is doing the same thing over and over with no results, that’s unfortunate and doesn’t need to be the case. Most physical therapists that have graduated since the early 2000s have a doctorate of physical therapy degree. To be sure, our expertise is in the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems of the body (although some have sought advanced training in other systems as post-doctorate specialty training), but our entry-level skills allow us to evaluate and assess multiple systems of the body, including the cardiopulmonary system, nervous system, integumentary system (skin), etc., to look for signs that indicate whether a person’s need is within or outside our scope of practice. If it is outside, then we can quickly refer the patient on to the medical provider who can best treat their non-PT-related issue.

Being a physical therapist

I love my job as a physical therapist for many reasons.

For one thing, we can bring healing to people suffering from a variety of symptoms: A sore leg you’re trying to ignore while keeping up with your running routine. Headaches that start in your neck. A sore back from sitting too long at a desk or driving. A sore neck from using your phone or computer so much.

Additionally, unlike many medical professionals that are limited to only a few minutes with their patients per appointment, physical therapists typically get at least 30 minutes with their patients (and usually more, but this depends on many factors) per session. This means that we get to know our patients through conversation, enabling us to connect on a level that allows greater trust. With that trust comes an environment that is ideal for promoting healing. Once you walk through our door, we treat you like family, and then you are part of our clinic’s family forever.

Choosing a physical therapist

How do you know that you’re going to the PT who is right for you? As with most things in life:

• Ask your friends and family who they recommend.
• Look up reviews online.
• Check the bio on their company’s website.
• Search for a specialist (orthopedics, geriatrics, neurology, etc.) on the American Physical Therapy Association’s Certified Specialist Directory at bit.ly/APTAspecialist.

Final encouragement

Let me leave you with a few verses that we at MOOSE Physical Therapy strive to keep as our mission as we look not only to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather, train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe (1 Timothy 4:7-10).

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:30-31, NIV).

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

I pray that you’re encouraged! May the Lord bless you with good health.

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Jonathan Hamm is a Samaritan Ministries member and a founding member and physical therapist at MOOSE Physical Therapy, PLLC in Peoria, Illinois.

The information provided in this article is for educational purposes and is not meant as medical advice. It is the opinion of the writer. The information is not meant to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health professional.