4 Things A Physical Therapist Can Do That Your Doctor Can’t
Traditionally, when you would sustain an injury your initial reaction would be to call your doctor. In today’s day and age, this may not be your best option when it comes to sustaining musculoskeletal injury. There are indeed some conditions that require the immediate attention of a doctor, however in the case of physical injuries, seeing a physical therapist can be far more beneficial, efficient, and cost effective in the long term. In fact, you may even find your doctor referring you directly over to a physical therapist because of the powerful role they play in identifying and managing pain and injury.
Many people don’t know exactly what a physical therapist does. In short, a physical therapist is a specialist. They are focused on the movement of the body, which means they understand how the different parts of the body (muscle, bone, joint) interact to make normal fluid movement happen. Therefore, they are able to help people recover from different injuries and determine the source of bodily pain. They can examine how a limb moves, for example, and identify problematic patterns with that movement, such as stress or instability. When these movement deficits are left unchecked, they can cause or exacerbate injury.
As of January 1, 2015, all 50 states allow some form of diagnosis and treatment from a physical therapist without a prescription or referral from a doctor. Physical therapists are educated at the post-baccalaureate level and receive extensive education and clinical training in the examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention of patient/clients with functional limitations, impairments and disabilities. All accredited entry-level physical therapy education programs currently culminate in a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. Physical therapists are qualified to recognize when a patient presents with signs and symptoms inconsistent or outside their scope and expertise and when the patient should be referred to a doctor for further work up.
Now that you understand that a physical therapist is qualified and a provider of choice for musculoskeletal injuries, lets get into the real reason why you are reading this blog today. Here are the four things a physical therapist can do for you that your doctor can’t:
1. Physical therapists can assess your risk of sustaining injury.
The old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Physical therapists can assess your risk of sustaining future injuries by using research tested movement screens and postural assessments. A functional movement screen involves the screening of all major functional motions that a person is likely to perform each day. This type of screen will involve evaluating a person’s individual upper and lower body stability, alignment, strength, flexibility, and range of motion. This will give the physical therapist an idea of the exact weaknesses and muscle imbalances in the body that they can improve that will significantly reduce your risk of injury. A postural assessment examines the body’s alignment in a resting position (ie. sitting or standing). For example, if you notice that you are experiencing pain during your job which demands you sit for long periods of time, your physical therapist will examine your sitting posture and determine which tissues are generating pain or which prolonged positions are generating pain and dysfunction.
2. Physical therapists can design you an individualized workout routine.
As we previously discussed, your physical therapist will perform a specific evaluation that will look at your gross movements, postures, strength, range of motion, flexibility, stability, joint mobility, and alignment. Based on the results of your in-depth evaluation, your physical therapist will develop a specific, individualized exercise routine that will restore your normal movement. This will ensure that your specific movement issue will not come back in the future.
Did you know that a physical therapist can also provide wellness personal training sessions too? Physical therapists are more than qualified than your average personal trainer to assist you with meeting not only your rehabilitation goals but also your personal fitness goals. Physical therapists are trained to evaluate your body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and even provide general education about nutrition in order to improve your overall health and wellness. If you have concerns about adjusting your workout, a physical therapist can have a more thorough, in-depth conversation with you about it to address your concerns and ensure that your body is getting the work that it needs. They can also help you build routines that prepare you for more vigorous motions by working the prerequisite muscle groups ahead of time to prevent injury.
3. Physical therapists can accelerate your rate of recovery.
Physical therapists are trained in various specialized forms of treatment that can accelerate your rate of recovery from injury or following a surgical procedure. They can provide hands-on manual physical therapy treatments like stretching, mobilization, manipulation, massage, and cupping which can significantly help to rapidly reduce pain and stiffness. Other treatments can also be included as a part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan of care including electrical stimulation, hot/cold packs, therapeutic ultrasound, and cold laser. Once pain and stiffness has been resolved, physical therapists will reinforce your recovery by giving you specific corrective exercises under some amount of load to build resilience to your body to ensure that your problem does not return.
4. Physical therapists can really get to know you.
Unlike most healthcare professionals, physical therapists can really get to know their patients on a more personal level which can be highly beneficial to your recovery. The average physical therapist will see their patients twice a week allowing them to form a deeper, trusting, and more meaningful relationship. Your physical therapist will get to know more about your lifestyle and specific goals and further tailor the treatment to be specific to your diagnosis and needs. A good physical therapist will also make themselves available by phone or email if you have any further questions or concerns while you are not in the clinic to ensure you have an effective long-term outcome.
Conclusion
While your doctor should be your go-to for general overall health, if you find yourself dealing with physical injury, postural, or movement issues, you should consider consulting a physical therapist. In fact, even if you feel fine, it doesn’t hurt to check in and have posture and movement screening tests done, particularly if you are prone to injuries. Of course, physical therapists are invaluable to recovery once you’ve been injured, but why not avoid getting injured in the first place if you can help it? Keep your workout routine safe and keep your body in balance by consulting a physical therapist first.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Garrett Desrosiers PT, DPT
Garrett is the CEO and Co-Owner of ProResults Physical Therapy Inc. in San Marcos, CA (North San Diego County). Garrett has been helping on-the-go active adults and athletes across the south western United States return to a pain-free active lifestyle without medications, injections, surgery or making unnecessary trips to the physician’s office since 2015. He graduated in 2013 with his Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology then went on to receive his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Husson University in 2015. After working for three years in multiple fast paced outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinics, Garrett quickly realized he was not able to provide the elite quality care he knew his clients deserved. Garrett felt clients were more than just a number or diagnosis and that in order to provide the time, empathy, passion, and high-quality treatment they deserved, starting his own private practice was the only option. Garrett is committed to helping every client make the best decision in regard to their health. His unique, personalized, eclectic, multifaceted approach takes those individuals who have decreased their activities or stopped being active all together to a real solution.