9 Things Physical Therapists Want You to Know to Age Gracefully!
We can’t stop time. Or can we? The right type and amount of physical activity can help stave off many age-related health problems. Physical therapists, who are movement experts, prescribe physical activity that can help you overcome pain, gain and maintain movement, and preserve your independence—often helping you avoid the need for surgery or long-term use of prescription drugs. Since October is National Physical Therapy Month, we wanted to bring you the nine things physical therapists at ProResults Physical Therapy want you to know to age well.
1. Chronic pain doesn’t have to be the boss of you.
Each year 116 million Americans experience chronic pain from arthritis or other conditions, costing billions of dollars in medical treatment, lost work time, and lost wages. Proper exercise, mobility, mindfullness training, and pain management techniques can ease pain while moving and at rest, improving your overall quality of life.
2. You can get stronger when you’re older.
Research shows that improvements in strength and physical function are possible in your 60s, 70s, and even 80s and older with an appropriate exercise program. Progressive resistance training, in which muscles are exercised against resistance that gets more difficult as strength improves, has been shown to prevent frailty and osteoporosis. “You can’t go wrong getting strong!”
3. You may not need surgery or drugs for low back pain.
Low back pain is often over-treated with surgery and drugs despite a wealth of scientific evidence demonstrating that physical therapy can be an effective alternative—and with much less risk than surgery and long-term use of prescription medications. This is why it is crucial that conservative treatment interventions, such as physical therapy, should be implemented as the first line of treatment for low back pain prior to electing to surgery or prescription pain medications.
4. You can lower your risk of diabetes with exercise.
One in four Americans over the age of 60 has diabetes. Obesity and physical inactivity can put you at risk for this disease. But a regular, appropriate physical activity routine is one of the best ways to prevent—and manage—type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
5. Exercise can help you avoid falls—and keep your independence.
About one in three U.S. adults age 65 or older falls each year. More than half of adults over 65 report problems with movement, including walking 1/4 mile, stooping and standing. Group-based exercises led by a physical therapist can improve movement and balance and reduce your risk of falls. It can also reduce your risk of hip fractures (95 percent of which are caused by falls).
6. Your bones want you to exercise.
Osteoporosis or weak bones affects more than half of Americans over the age of 54. Exercises that keep you on your feet, like walking, jogging, or dancing, and exercises using resistance, such as weightlifting, can improve bone strength or reduce bone loss.
7. Maintain a healthy heart with exercise.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the US. One of the top ways of preventing it and other cardiovascular diseases? Exercise! Research shows that if you already have heart disease, appropriate exercise can improve your health.
8. Keep your brain working optimally with exercise.
People who are physically active—even later in life—are less likely to develop memory problems or Alzheimer’s disease, a condition which affects more than 40% of people over the age of 85.
9. You don’t “just have to deal with” bladder leakage.
More than 13 million women and men in the US have bladder leakage. Don’t spend years relying on pads or rushing to the bathroom. Seek help from a physical therapist. Believe it or not, there are physical therapists out there that specialize in women’s and men’s pelvic health who can be a very effective resource for retraining the muscles of your pelvic floor to stop leakage.
Give us a call today to schedule your FREE DISCOVERY VISIT or FREE PHONE CONSULTATION to see how physical therapy can help you age gracefully and maintain your independence! CLICK HERE to schedule your complimentary discovery visit or telephone consultation today!
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.