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Are You Searching For Ways To Improve Your Life? Here Are 6 Benefits Physical Therapy Can Offer!

Do you need to heal from a recent accident or surgery, but you’re having a hard time doing it alone? Have you noticed that your muscles are aching or sore throughout the day? Do you have a chronic illness that causes you to be in near-constant pain? 

Physical therapy can help you enhance your health in any situation. While there are several advantages to physical therapy, the following are the top six ways it can improve your quality of life!

Give Dubuque Physical Therapy a call today to schedule an appointment so we can help you feel your absolute best!

How can physical therapy help me feel better?

1. It can help you improve your balance!

Whether you’re standing, walking, or doing an exercise routine, a physical therapist can provide you with a variety of exercises to help you improve your balance!

Balance normally declines as bones become brittle with age, and there are various health issues that can influence your balance. Improving your balance will help you prevent trips and falls, which can result in catastrophic injuries.

Physical therapy can also help you participate in and enjoy more demanding activities that you may not have been able to do previously.

2. It can offer more opportunities for physical activity.

Physical therapy can benefit you even if you’re in good health and participate in a variety of activities on a daily basis.

Your physical therapist can assist you in improving your performance by advising you on specific forms and techniques. If you want to get back into the things you enjoy, your physical therapist can help you do so. You’ll collaborate on a treatment plan that will help you achieve your objectives, and he or she will help you improve your strength, endurance, and flexibility.

3. You’ll be at less of a risk of injury.

Physical therapy aids in the recovery of injuries, but most people are unaware that it can also aid in the prevention of injuries. Your physical therapist can give you a variety of exercises to undertake at home and before engaging in physical activity to help you avoid injury. If you’re recuperating from surgery, your physical therapist can teach you new techniques to walk and move that will help you stay active while lowering the risk of falls and injury.

4. Your flexibility will improve.

Increasing your muscle and joint flexibility is a goal of many physical therapy treatment programs. Your physical therapist can assist you with a number of stretching treatments as well as heat therapy to loosen up tight muscles and tendons. Massage or breathing techniques may be recommended by your physical therapist to help you relax and become more flexible.

5. Had surgery? Recovery will be smoother and quicker.

If you’ve previously had surgery or experienced an injury, a physical therapy program might be designed to help you get back on your feet. Your physical therapist will design a rehabilitation program that is tailored to your unique needs, with the goal of assisting you in recovering as rapidly as possible. Strength and range of motion exercises, as well as any specialty treatments recommended by your physical therapist, may be included.

6. You might be able to avoid surgery altogether!

You always run the danger of blood clots, infection, and a long recovery time when you have surgery. In many circumstances, physical therapy can resolve a problem without requiring surgery. A physical therapist can help you with sprains, strains, dislocations, tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis, and acute/chronic pain, to name a few ailments.

Physical therapy aids your body’s natural healing process, and while surgery may be necessary in some cases, it’s almost always preferable to avoid an intrusive operation if the condition can be managed with physical therapy.

Give our clinic a call today to schedule an appointment

In order to help you achieve your health and fitness objectives, your physical therapist will work directly with you during your appointments. You’ll be guided through your treatment program and your exercises may change over time according to your progress.

Physical therapy is available to help you find comfort, prevent an injury, or just enhance your physical function. Contact our office now if you’re ready to get started on the road to better health!

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Combat-Inflammation-From-Arthritis
Combat Inflammation From Arthritis Through Physical Therapy Treatment

Are you living with arthritis? If so, you know how much it can control your routine. Arthritis can be extremely limiting to a person’s life, and unfortunately, it is a disorder of the joints that millions of people live with.

While arthritis is debilitating, there is light at the end of the tunnel: it can certainly be managed! If you believe you may be living with arthritic symptoms, call Dubuque Physical Therapy at our physical therapy office as soon as possible.

You deserve to enjoy your life without worrying about arthritic joints. We’ll help you manage your pain and get back to leading a full, happy life! In the meantime, keep reading to learn more about the benefits of physical therapy for arthritis.

Types of arthritis

The two most commonly reported types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis develops from “wear and tear” of cartilage, while rheumatoid arthritis develops from an overactive immune system.

Arthritis results in joint inflammation that can cause aches, pains, stiffness, and limited mobility. While there are over 100 types of arthritis, they are typically split into two categories: monoarthritis, meaning only one joint is affected, and oligoarthritis, meaning multiple joints are affected.

So, what should I do if I think I have arthritic symptoms?

If you believe you may be suffering from arthritis, the first thing you should do is contact your primary care provider. He or she will provide a thorough evaluation, looking for signs of disease, such as inflammation and/or deformity.

They’ll go through your symptoms and may order blood tests, urine tests, joint fluid testing, or x-rays if they think they’re necessary. If these tests reveal that you have arthritis, your doctor will devise a treatment plan for you based on the location and severity of the problem. Rest, exercise routines, and medications, as needed, may be part of this therapy approach.

You will very certainly be referred to a physical therapist to assist you in executing your exercise routines, as well as to track your progress and ensure that you are doing it safely and correctly. Physical therapy has been shown to help relieve arthritis pain without the use of pharmaceuticals.

It is very likely that you will also be referred to a physical therapist to help guide you through your exercise routines, in order to measure progress and make sure that you are completing your physical activity in a safe and correct manner. Physical therapy is a proven aid in arthritic pain relief, without the use of harmful pain-management drugs.

Early diagnosis can be helpful in avoiding joint damage and disability, so it is imperative that you contact a doctor as soon as you think you may be developing arthritic symptoms.

The importance of physical activity for people with arthritis

Staying physically active when you have arthritis is the key to keeping your joints in good, functioning condition. This claim is backed up by research at the Arthritis Center at Johns Hopkins:

“Physical activity is essential to optimizing both physical and mental health and can play a vital role in the management of arthritis. Regular physical activity can keep the muscles around affected joints strong, decrease bone loss and may help control joint swelling and pain. Regular activity replenishes lubrication to the cartilage of the joint and reduces stiffness and pain. Exercise also helps to enhance energy and stamina by decreasing fatigue and improving sleep. Exercise can enhance weight loss and promote long-term weight management in those with arthritis who are overweight.”

While it can feel easy to lie around or choose to soak your aching joints in a warm bath, getting up and moving is still the best way to combat arthritis pain. You’ll find that your therapist at Dubuque Physical Therapy agrees as well!

Physical therapy for long-lasting relief

While there is not yet a known cure for arthritis, physical therapy is a proven and effective way to relieve pain and ease inflammation. In fact, each patient is provided with their very own individualized treatment plan, based on the nature of their arthritic condition and their corresponding needs. Treatment plans help improve strength, mobility, and range of motion while also alleviating pain.

Your physical therapist will provide you with targeted stretches and exercises for arthritic relief, in addition to any other methods he or she may deem fit. This may include manual therapy, soft tissue mobilization, ice and heat therapies, deep tissue massage, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation. Any additional modality will be added under the discretion of your physical therapist, if needed for additional pain relief or mobility improvement.

Are you ready to relieve your arthritic aches and pains?

Call Dubuque Physical Therapy today if you want to learn more about how arthritis pain can be managed through physical therapy.  We’ll help you manage your pain so you can get back to living your life!

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5-Ways-Stretching-Can-Provide-Pain-Relief-and-Improve-Flexibility
5 Ways Stretching Can Provide Pain Relief and Improve Flexibility

Do you stretch regularly? If you don’t, know that you’re not the only one slacking off on this vital aspect of exercise!

Stretching is an important element of physical therapy. Targeted stretches are incorporated into practically every physical therapy treatment plan. Stretching is beneficial to everyone, from athletes aiming to improve their technique to seniors seeking relief from chronic aches and pains.

Stretching not only improves flexibility, but it’s also a natural approach to relieve discomfort and make any subsequent physical therapy treatments go more smoothly.

To learn more about incorporating stretching into your life, call Dubuque Physical Therapy today for more information and a consultation!

Do you know about these benefits of stretching?

There are a lot of benefits of stretching that are not always discussed! Five of the best ones are as follows:

1. Stretching is all natural and totally free

It is obvious that if we experience back pain, we should stretch out our backs. However, sometimes stretching your legs during physical therapy can provide unexpected relief to your back, as well. Sometimes we forget how interconnected all of our body parts are!

In fact, your hamstrings, upper thighs, and hips can all play a big part in creating lower back pain relief. Likewise, improving your posture through stretching your torso can provide the kind of support you need to keep your spine from compressing, which helps you avoid shoulder and neck pain. Essentially, stretching different parts of your body can provide relief to places you may not have considered!

2. Stretching helps boost circulation

Stretching can help you relax, but it has other benefits for your heart and musculoskeletal system as well. Stretching is important for practically all aspects of your physical ability.

Tight muscles reduce the amount of oxygen available to the body, depriving it of the nutrients it requires. Stretching aids in the reversal of the process. You’ll benefit from enhanced blood flow to your joints and throughout your body if you stretch frequently.

3. Stretching naturally enhances athletic performance

This is particularly true for athletes. The more you condition your muscles, joints, and ligaments, the better your athletic performance will be.

Bodybuilders, for example, recover from reps considerably faster when they stretch as a cool-down. Golfers can extend their reach by expanding their hips and shoulder range of motion. By stretching and honing their balance, swimmers can even out their strokes. If you’re an athlete, stretching can make a big difference in your results.

4. It’s an effective way to improve range of motion.

Whether it’s turning your head to see behind you while driving, or bending your knee freely while running, range of motion is crucial for both daily life and for fitness pursuits. Range of motion consists of how well your joints can move in all directions. This influences every movement you make! If you have a constricting condition, such as arthritis or an injury, your range of motion can be hindered.

Stretching can help reduce stiffness and increase flexibility, therefore improving your range of motion.

5. Stretching helps prevent injuries

When muscles are tight or tense, the likelihood of injury increases. This occurs because that particular part of your body isn’t working at its peak performance, even though you might be. When you stretch, you’re loosening up your muscles, in addition to increasing range of motion and improving balance, which all factor into injury prevention.

All of these characteristics can save you from making the kinds of mistakes that contribute to injury, such as landing too hard on one foot, twisting your back too far, or falling due to a loss of balance.

Let’s get to stretching; give us a call today!

As you can see, there are numerous reasons why you should consider incorporating stretching into your daily routine. Whether it’s dynamic, static, pre-activity, or post-activity, one of our professional physical therapists can help you figure out the ideal stretches for your lifestyle.

In addition to the ones listed above, stretching has various other health benefits.

Are you ready to reap some of stretching’s benefits? If that’s the case, give Dubuque Physical Therapy a call today!

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