Physical therapy has lots of benefits for active people. Athletes, performers, weekend warriors, and people who work in physically demanding jobs can all benefit from the expertise of a physical therapist. Here are 3 ways physical therapists help active people stay that way.

Injury Treatment

Active people get hurt. Physical therapists have the knowledge and skills to help people recover from injuries faster. In addition to helping people recover, physical therapists will look for the root cause of the injury and address that as well, to help keep the injury from coming back. If the injury is severe and requires surgery, a physical therapist will guide the recovery and make sure the person gets back to their activity. But in some cases, a physical therapist can help an injured person avoid surgery in the first place.

Injury Prevention

Surgery isn’t the only thing physical therapists can help people avoid. A physical therapist can also help with injury prevention too. A thorough assessment of an athlete’s strength, mobility, balance, and coordination helps to identify issues that could lead to injury. A PT can then design a program to improve the problem areas before they lead to injury. A PT can also assess an existing training plan and help to identify areas that may lead to sprains, strains, or overtraining.

Improve Performance

In addition to helping people improve areas where they’re weak, therapists can help people get better in areas of strength. A physical therapist can create a program to improve strength, flexibility, coordination, agility or speed. Physical therapists are movement experts. They can break down the requirements of a specific physical task like lifting or throwing, then design a training program that will help people meet those demands.

Physical Therapy is more than just a way to get back on your feet after an injury – it can also help you stay at the top of your game. Whether you’re an athlete, a dancer, or someone who wants to stay in shape, physical therapy can help you reach your performance goals. With the right exercises and treatments, our physical therapists can help you improve strength, flexibility, and endurance so that you can perform at your best and lower your risk of injury.

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REFERENCES:

1. Research (peer-reviewed)

   1. What we currently do for sports – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31077961/

   2. Sports injury prevention – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35421834/

   3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34238639/

2. Articles and Content

   1. https://www.idsportsmed.com/7-benefits-of-sports-physical-therapy/

   2. https://www.childrens.com/amp/health-wellness/how-physical-therapy-helps-athletes-and-what-to-expect

   3. How Can Physical Therapy Help to Avoid Surgery? – Tucson Orthopaedic Institute

Nearly 5 million people in the United States have fibromyalgia. This chronic condition causes widespread pain, fatigue, and cognitive issues. It can be difficult to manage and can severely impact quality of life. The best treatment plans combine exercise, modalities and education. Physical therapists are experts in all three, so they’re the perfect practitioner to help!

EXERCISE

Currently, recommendations for the management of fibromyalgia include patient education and non-pharmacological interventions. The right exercise routine can help with pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, and more. A combination of strengthening, stretching and aerobic exercise is the most effective. You and your PT will work together to find the right type and intensity of exercise to best manage your symptoms.

MODALITIES

Exercise isn’t the only tool the PT has to help people with fibromyalgia though. Gentle manual therapy and massage have been shown to help reduce pain and muscle stiffness caused by fibromyalgia. Physical therapists also use modalities to reduce symptoms.

Examples include:

electrical stimulation

laser

biofeedback

dry needling in states where it is allowed

In addition to land-based exercise, some clinics also have the option of aquatic therapy. This combines the benefits of exercise with the warmth of a therapeutic pool.

EDUCATION

Education is another important component in treating fibromyalgia. A physical therapist spends more time with their patients than most other practitioners. They have the time to help you understand what’s going on, and what you can do about it. Research shows that people with more knowledge about their condition have better outcomes, more confidence, and cope better.

While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, physical therapists can help with pain management, strength, mobility, fatigue and function to help patients find relief from their symptoms.

 

References:

Research (peer-reviewed)

Therex effectiveness – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5632473/

PT for fibromyalgia – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31140398/

Exercises for fibro – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29185675/ 

Manual therapy for fibro – ​​https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32604939/

Aquatic PT for fibro – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23818412/

Effectiveness of exercise with fatigue, etc for fibro – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32721388/

 

Articles and Content:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11028838/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36051912/

https://www.choosept.com/guide/physical-therapy-guide-fibromyalgia

Dry needling is a technique physical therapists use (where allowed by state law) to treat pain and movement impairments. As part of their entry-level education, physical therapists are well educated in anatomy and treatment of the body. Physical therapists who perform dry needling supplement also obtain specific postgraduate education and training.

The physical therapist inserts a “dry” needle, one without medication or injection, into areas of the muscle.

Other terms used to describe dry needling include:

• Trigger point dry needling.
• Intramuscular manual therapy.

Dry needling is not acupuncture, which is based on traditional Chinese medicine performed by acupuncturists. Dry needling is a part of modern Western medicine and is supported by research.

What Is a Trigger Point?

A trigger point is a taut band of skeletal muscle within a larger muscle group. Trigger points can be tender to the touch. Touching a trigger point may refer pain to other parts of the body.

What Kind of Needles Are Used?

Dry needling involves a thin filiform needle. The needle penetrates the skin and stimulates underlying myofascial trigger points and muscular and connective tissues. The needle allows a physical therapist to target tissues they are not able to reach with their hands.

Physical therapists wear gloves and personal protective equipment when dry needling. The used sterile needles are disposed of in a medical sharps collector.

Why Dry Needling?

When physical therapists use dry needling, it is typically part of a larger treatment plan.

Dry needling can release or inactivate trigger points to relieve pain or improve range of motion. Research suggests that dry needling improves pain control and reduces muscle tension. Study findings also show that dry needling can normalize dysfunctions of the motor end plates, from which nerve impulses get transmitted to muscles.

This hands-on musculoskeletal treatment combined with diagnostic skills are recommended by our physical therapists as a part of your physical therapy plan of care.

 

Warm-ups are always important. They gradually raise your heart rate and get you breathing a little faster. This sends more oxygen, energy, and nutrients to your heart, lungs, and muscles so they can perform at their best. Warm-ups also get the aerobic energy system started, which takes several minutes. Getting it going before your activity also helps you perform better.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT IN THE COLD?

Our bodies have a few tricks to stay warm in the cold. One of these is to narrow the blood vessels closest to the skin. That means that the more superficial muscles get less blood flow, making them more likely to be injured if you place too much demand on them before they’re ready. The restriction in the blood vessels also makes your heart work harder. This doesn’t mean you can’t be active in the cold, it just means that you should take a little more time to get your body ready.

HOW TO WARM UP

Start with something to raise your heart rate, maybe a brisk walk or light jog. Follow that with a dynamic warm-up like walking or jogging while pulling your knees up high to your chest. Some high-front kicks with straight knees will loosen your hamstrings. Walking lunges with an upper-body twist will get your whole body moving. Your warm-up should match the activity you have planned. If you’re not sure how it should look, ask your physical therapist!

CONSIDER YOUR CLOTHES

Dress in layers so you can adjust your clothing to your activity level. After you warm up, you might want to take off a layer to avoid getting too hot during your main activity. You can always add layers back when your activity level drops or the temperature changes.

EVEN THOUGH IT’S COLD, COOL DOWN

We know it’s tempting to rush inside to a warm blanket and hot drink, but don’t skip the cool down. Keep moving with a walk or another form of active recovery so your heart rate can come down gradually. A cool-down also helps your muscles to transition back to a relaxed state and can reduce soreness following your workout. Since your muscles are still warm, your cool-down is the right place for static stretching.

The shorter days and lower temperatures don’t mean that you’re stuck inside for all of your exercises. Follow these tips and you can safely keep moving outside. If you’d like a customized warm-up or cool-down or have questions about your exercise routine, your physical therapist is a great person to ask!

 

Physical therapists aren’t just for people that are injured or have had surgery. Physical therapists can also help healthy people improve their fitness. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider seeing yours.

YOU WANT A BASELINE

When you see a physical therapist to improve your fitness, you’ll get an assessment of your strength, range of motion, posture and movement patterns. This not only helps your physical therapist design a customized program just for you, it gives them a baseline to compare things to in the future should you start having pain or suffer an injury.

YOU WANT EXPERT GUIDANCE

Sure, other professionals could help with your fitness routine, but the fitness industry is not well-regulated. Some certifications just require an online course and paying a fee. There are no licenses or other requirements to use many titles. Becoming a physical therapist requires at least a bachelor’s degree and most PTs practicing today have a doctorate. Every PT has passed a national board exam and maintains a state license. That guarantees you that every physical therapist is a verified expert in human movement.

YOU WANT TO PREVENT INJURY

Physical therapists don’t just work to heal injuries, they are also experts in preventing them. After a thorough assessment, a PT can help you design a program that will not only help you reach your fitness goals, but that can address any issues that increase your risk for injury.

YOU WANT UNBIASED ADVICE

Yoga instructors will want you to do yoga. Personal trainers will want you to come to their gym. Pilates instructors will want you to do Pilates. Strength coaches will want you to strength train. A physical therapist doesn’t have a bias or vested interest as to what type of fitness regimen you choose. They are only interested in helping you reach your goals.

YOU HAVE A HISTORY

If you have some kind of history that affects your ability to exercise, a PT is the best person to help you design a fitness regimen. It doesn’t matter if it’s an old injury from athletics or work, back pain that comes up from time to time, COPD, arthritis or heart disease, a PT can help you safely work around it and meet your fitness goals.

Frailty is a syndrome in which a person becomes unable to deal with everyday stress placed on the body. Their muscles may lack strength and power. Their heart and lungs may lose the capacity to help them take part in daily activities and life events. These changes make it difficult or impossible to do things like bathe, dress, care for a family member, prepare meals, or attend social activities.

People of any age can become frail due to trauma, disease, persistent pain, or a reduction in physical activity. People who have more than one chronic health condition at midlife — such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or stroke — are more likely to become frail as they age.

Physical therapists help individuals with frailty restore their overall mobility (movement), so they can return to desired activities. They help them improve their:

• Strength and flexibility.
• Aerobic capacity (the ability of the heart and lungs to get oxygen to muscles).
• Balance control. 

What is Frailty?

Frailty is the inability to perform daily activities due to factors such as muscle weakness and the loss of heart and lung capacity. Inactivity is a major cause of frailty. Inactivity can occur due to the presence of health conditions, an injury, or lifestyle choices. Being inactive, regardless of the reason, can cause weakness in all body systems. It only takes a few days in the hospital to experience a decline in the strength needed to move. Spending eight days or more in the hospital over a one-year period is linked to a loss of leg strength in otherwise healthy aging adults. Up to 30% of critical care patients in hospitals are frail.

When a person is not physically active, specific problems can result, including:

• Small, weak, and rigid muscles (known as sarcopenia).
• Stiff joints.
• Weakened heart and lung function (cardiorespiratory system).
• Balance problems and an increased risk for falls.

Frail people often are scared to perform activities or don’t want to do them because it makes them tired. This lack of activity increases frailty over time, creating a challenging pattern of physical inactivity and frailty. Some people do not understand how to improve their condition, so they continue to be inactive.

When a person becomes frail from lack of physical activity, they are at a higher risk of falling. Falls often cause injuries that can lead to hospitalization, disability, and death.

Signs and Symptoms

A person with frailty may experience:

• Severe fatigue, weakness, and/or exhaustion.
• Low energy.
• Weight loss.
• Difficulty standing, sitting, or walking.
• Trouble getting out of bed or a chair without help.
• Inability to perform simple household tasks.
• Poor balance or fear of falling.
• Feeling unable to work.
• Inability to socialize with friends and family.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Frailty can be diagnosed by your doctor or by a physical therapist. Your physical therapist will conduct a thorough examination to determine your:

• Lung (aerobic) capacity.
• Balance and posture.
• Fall risk.
• Flexibility.
• Strength.
• Mobility (movement).
• Muscle power.

Our Physical Therapists will ask you or a caregiver questions about your health, symptoms, and how well you move around. They also will conduct a hands-on examination and will observe your movements.

With health in sharp focus as a result of the pandemic, now may be a good time to look at the team of experts you have in place and see if there are any improvements you could make. You probably have a family doctor, dentist, and optometrist. Maybe you have some specialist physicians, a trainer, or a massage therapist. If a physical therapist isn’t a part of your healthcare team, you’re missing out on taking care of a big part of your health. To understand why you need a physical therapist, you need to understand what they do.

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS HELP YOU DO THINGS

The American Physical Therapy Association defines PTs as “healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat individuals who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives.” So physical therapists help you do things that you have trouble with. That could be going for a hike, playing with your kids, or getting through a day of work without pain.

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS REDUCE PAIN

Chronic pain is a huge problem worldwide. A big part of that is low back pain. Statistically, around 80% of people will have low back pain in their lifetimes. Physical therapists are trained to treat pain without surgery or medications. If you have back pain, an arthritic knee, neck pain, or an old injury that won’t go away, a PT may be able to help.

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS KEEP YOU HEALTHY

The APTA goes on to say that “PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles.” That means that a physical therapist can help you determine your risk for injury, choose the right fitness program, and improve the quality of your life by improving your health and ability to move.

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS CAN HELP YOU LIVE LONGER

It’s well known that the risk of many of the leading causes of death can be reduced by exercise. Some of these conditions would include heart disease, cancer, lung disease, diabetes, stroke, and reducing the risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes.  Our PTs could help you live longer by helping you move better with less pain, finding the right exercise program, and helping you to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Do you avoid moving (a little or a lot) because you fear it will hurt? Does the fear of reinjury limit your activity? If so, you may be experiencing kinesiophobia. And you’re not alone.

As many as 50%-70% of adults — not just athletes — experience this feeling after an injury, accident, or illness. Kinesiophobia can result from personal experience. It also can be learned by watching or mimicking the behaviors of others.

Fear is a natural response to danger or the potential threat of danger. It causes normal physical changes in the body, such as:

• Increased heart rate.
• Rapid breathing.
• Elevated startle “jump” response.

Fear also can cause anxiety — the emotion felt when we think bad things might happen. And anxiety can cause fear, resulting in a continuous feedback loop. Ultimately, when fear and anxiety affect how we move it’s known as fear avoidance.

People who fear moving can have decreased confidence in doing daily activities and may:

• Change their normal movement to feel safe. Moving in ways we are not meant to — and using muscles or joints the wrong way — can lead to new pain.
• Decide that it is just better not to move at all. An inactive lifestyle can increase your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

While avoidance tactics may seem to help at first, they can lead to long-term problems if continued. Movement and regular physical activity are essential for our hearts, muscles, joints, lungs, mind, spirit, and overall health.

Help Is Available

Physical therapy plays a vital role in addressing the fear of movement. Physical therapists can identify any contributing factors and teach you how to move safely. They, and the physical therapist assistants they work with, can help you get past your fear of movement.

Physical therapists are movement experts. They improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement.

What to Expect From Physical Therapy

Physical therapy aims to restore function so you can do the activities you need and love to do.

During your initial visit, your physical therapist may:

• Measure your fear of movement or re-injury. The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia or a questionnaire can help identify the reasons for your fear. There are a variety of possible causes.
• Evaluate your overall strength, endurance, and balance.
• Ask about your personal goals.

Your physical therapist will use this information to design a personalized treatment plan that may include:

• Gradual exposure to activities that do not cause harm.
• A strength, balance, and endurance exercise program paced for your specific needs.
• Virtual reality activity exposure.
• Adapted yoga.
• Aquatic exercises.
• Patient education. Your physical therapist can help you better understand how your body should move.
• Guiding you through activities so you can focus less on your fear and improve your ability to move.
• Assistance and guidance to help you set quality-of-life goals.

Your physical therapist also may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy. This treatment can help you address fear or anxiety.

Physical therapists use the latest evidence to address each person’s needs, challenges, and goals to:

• Improve mobility.
• Manage pain and other conditions.
• Recover from and prevent injury and chronic disease.

Our physical therapists and physical therapist assistants empower you to take part in your recovery. They work with each other, other healthcare providers, and community partners to ensure you receive the best care.

This piece originally appeared in ChoosePT

Haven’t thought about having an annual PT exam? We’re biased, but we think you should. You see your optometrist and dentist regularly because your eyes and teeth are important. You get an annual physical from your family physician. You might even be getting ready to see your accountant to get your yearly taxes done.

But what about the rest of your body? Have you lost range of motion or strength? How’s your balance and coordination? These all affect how you move. You might not notice small changes until you have problems like trouble lifting a heavy load, joint pain, or a sprained ankle from a stumble. An annual PT exam can catch problems early, then correct them before they lead to something bigger.

WHAT TO EXPECT

An annual PT exam is quick and easy. Your annual visit may include:

• A history of your injuries, as well as a health history
• Assessment of your strength, balance, flexibility, etc.
• A review of your movement goals (do you want to run a marathon? Get on and off the floor easily playing with your grandkids?)
• A review and update of your exercise program

HOW IMPORTANT IS MOVING WELL?

There is strong evidence suggesting that movement is a valuable predictor of future health and resilience against disease. Moving well can keep you healthier and help you live longer. Here are some examples of the power of movement when it comes to predicting future health:

Gait Velocity

Gait velocity is how fast you walk. Studies have shown that if your typical walking speed is over 1 m/s or 3.3 ft/s, you’re likely able to complete typical daily activities independently. You’re also less likely to be hospitalized and less likely to have adverse events like falls.

Get On and Off the Floor

A series of studies suggest that if you can go from standing to sitting on the floor and back to standing without using your hands, you’re a lot less likely to die than someone who can’t. It’s called the sitting-rising test. You can find the instructions and examples with a quick internet search.

Notice that both gait velocity and the sitting-rising test aren’t specific to any one thing. The risk of hospitalization in the gait velocity studies was hospitalization for any reason. Death in the sitting-rising studies was death from anything. So science says that moving well is incredibly important to your overall health. It’s also important for your quality of life. We think moving well is just as important as your teeth, eyes, and taxes. If you agree, get that annual PT exam scheduled!

 

REFERENCES

Why provide an annual physical therapy visit – https://www.apta.org/patient-care/interventions/annual-checkup

Physical Therapists’ Role in Prevention, Wellness, Fitness, Health Promotion, and Management of Disease and Disability – https://www.apta.org/apta-and-you/leadership-and-governance/policies/pt-role-advocacy

Ability to sit and rise from the floor is closely correlated with all-cause mortality risk — ScienceDaily

Gait velocity as a single predictor of adverse events in healthy seniors aged 75 years and older – PubMed (nih.gov)

From the time we learned to walk we fell a lot, but our parents picked us up and we kept going. So, why on earth was it a natural instinct to break our falls with our hands, and, how come we never learned at that time how to fall without FOOSH’ing? Good question, right?

What is a FOOSH, and how can we not do it?

Well, FOOSH is the nickname for an injury caused by Falling Onto an Out Stretched Hand. These injuries ¹ are among the most common injuries affecting the hands and wrists that occur when trying to break a fall.

The severity of FOOSH injuries can vary greatly depending on various factors. These include:

• the force of your impact with the ground
• the type of ground you’ve fallen on
• the way in which you’ve fallen
• whether you have any existing health conditions or injuries affecting your hands and wrists.

FOOSH might be a silly Nickname, but it can have serious consequences.

FOOSH injuries often happen to people who participate in sports where falls are common, such as downhill mountain biking, skiing, and football.

But, really anyone can get a FOOSH injury if they fall on a hard surface and try to brace themselves with their hands or arms. Incorrect footwear can create tripping hazards and also lead to falls. So can scatter rugs and electrical cords in the home. A lack of balance or coordination, poor vision, or medications that cause drowsiness, may also cause falls with FOOSH injuries.

The Art of Falling Safely.

Believe it or not, there are ways to fall and not FOOSH. And we’re all going to fall down: The world is full of banana peels. So while avoiding a fall is job one, knowing how to take a fall when it’s inevitable is a crucial skill.

An article by Michael Zimmerman, AARP The Magazine, gives a 4-step explanation with pictures on the Art of Falling Safely with suggestions to help improve your footing and practice mindfulness. An added bonus in the article has a link on how to how to prevent falls in your home.²

The take-a-way is bittersweet. Remember – we’re all going to fall so let’s try to learn the art of it. However, there is still a 50/50 chance we’re gonna FOOSH, and if you do we are here to help you!

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sources:

¹Treating and Recovering from ‘Fallen Onto an Outstretched Hand’ Injuries: https://www.healthline.com/health/foosh

The Art of Falling Safely: www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2017/how-to-fall-safely.html