Are you struggling with musculoskeletal pain? Do you find it tough to perform the activities of daily living? If so, you can naturally treat your problem by consulting a licensed physical therapist. You will find several people across the world who prefer physical therapy over other treatments. The reason is, your physical therapist focuses on treating the real source of your pain; rather than aiming at subsiding it temporarily.

When you take medicines, you run the risk of getting addicted to them or having their side effects. Perhaps that’s the reason more and more people are relying on physical therapy treatments nowadays when it comes to getting rid of musculoskeletal pain.

Everyone can experience musculoskeletal pain at some point in their life. According to a report, “Musculoskeletal diseases affect more than one out of every two persons in the United States age 18 and over, and nearly three out of four age 65 and over.”

Caused mostly due to injuries to muscles, joints, bones, tendons, and ligaments; musculoskeletal pain affects the mobility of a patient like anything. It can also stem from diseases like arthritis, cancer, ulcers, gallbladder problems; and poor posture, nerve damage, using a poor quality mattress, and using high-heels, etc.

But regardless of why you are facing it, physical therapy can bring a considerable improvement in your health; provided you are following the instructions of your physical therapist. You can’t expect to see good results if you are hiding something from your physical therapist. You have to tell them everything regardless of whether you are following their instructions or not. For example, if your physical therapist has asked you to perform the exercise in the morning, but you avoided doing that for a long time; tell them clearly about it.

Doing so will help your physical therapist understand why your recovery is taking time. They will encourage you to stick to the exercises that they have asked you to perform.

So if you have never sought physical therapy treatments in your life, you should rely on them from now on.

Here is how your physical therapist will treat your problem.

They Will Discuss Your Symptoms

When you meet your physical therapist, they discuss your signs and symptoms with you at length. They will ask you to explain every single thing that you are experiencing that’s related to your problem. And you have to get ready to describe all that to them. It helps them understand your condition in a better way.

They Will Check Your Medical History

Apart from discussing the signs and symptoms of your problem, your physical therapist will also check your medical history to get a deeper understanding. Evaluating your medical history helps in identifying what kind of issues you have experienced in the past, and it also helps in discovering your fitness level to an extent.

Besides, it also allows your physical therapist to understand whether you are still facing the consequences of a health problem that you experienced in the past or not.

They Will Create a Personalized Care Plan

Once your physical therapist comes to know about the root cause of your musculoskeletal pain, they will then design a personalized care plan to meet your needs. They will incorporate the treatment techniques in your care plan depending upon why you are experiencing the pain, and how severe it is.

For example, if you are struggling with back pain due to arthritis, then your physical therapist might use techniques like stretches, exercises, and manual therapy, etc.

According to Valley Rehab Center, “Physical therapy can benefit anyone who is suffering from the aches and pains of arthritis.” It further says that “Treatment plans could include targeted techniques aimed at relieving your arthritis symptoms and restoring your joint function.”

So, if you stick to the treatment plan, you will see a tremendous reduction in your pain.

However, if your pain is not reducing even after sticking to your care plan, then bring it to the notice of your physical therapist. They will change your care plan immediately. They will incorporate some other techniques in it. For example, if earlier they have been trying to address your problem with ultrasound, then they might replace it with manual therapy. Making even small changes in your care plan can bring a world of difference in your health.

Now let’s take a look at how physical therapy will help you.

Physical therapy is not only essential for relieving pain, but it also helps in accelerating your body’s natural healing mechanism. It helps in improving circulation, building strong muscles, enhancing flexibility, and increasing mobility.

Whether you talk about manual therapy, massage therapy, Kinesio taping, deep tissue massage, dry needling, or therapeutic exercise, each one of these techniques helps in improving circulation. It plays a significant role in accelerating the healing process because it helps in supplying the necessary nutrients to the affected area. In the absence of proper circulation, affected tissues won’t get the required nutrition, which affects the recovery.

So if you want to heal your injuries fast, nothing can offer the kind of results physical therapy provides. You can rely on it without giving it a second thought. Believe it or not, you will regret your decision of seeking physical therapy.

Lastly, physical therapy can also help you avoid surgery if you consult an experienced and well-trained physical therapist at the right time.