HOW CAN PHYSICAL THERAPY BENEFIT YOU?

By Louise Whiteside

OUCH!   

The proverbial stars flickered before my eyes as my family doctor held and rotated my right arm, evaluating an injury from a prior fall I’d taken in a restaurant lobby. Moving my arm upward, he inquired, “Does this hurt?” Then downward,: “How about this?” Sideways:

“And this?”

“Yes, to all of the above,” I responded, in my most controlled shriek.

“A rotator cuff tear,” he declared in an authoritative voice. “I’m going to refer you for physical therapy.”

Rotator cuff. Physical therapy. I was familiar with those words. But what did they mean for me?

A torn rotator cuff meant an injury to a main shoulder muscle, significantly impairing movement of the shoulder and arm. And, as many of you are aware, physical therapy meant weeks, maybe months, of sessions at a specialized clinic, where I would receive and master a battery of exercises aimed at relieving the pain and repairing the damaged tissue.

I’d like to describe my initial visit to a physical therapy clinic. Greeted by an attractive woman in her mid-20s who was dressed in athletic clothing, I was invited to sit down and address a series of questions pertaining to my injury: What type of injury had I experienced? How long ago did it happen? Where did I feel the most pain? How was my physical movement impaired? How was my condition affecting my everyday living? After an extensive interview, and after I discovered that my interviewer would also be my first physical therapist, the agenda switched to an examination of the affected arm and shoulder, and a few brief preliminary exercises.

“Let’s check to see how your mobility is affected,” Annie (as I will call her) said, as she handed me two circular hoops attached to an elasticized rope. “Let’s see how much effort it takes to pull these hoops apart.”

Frankly, it took a great deal of effort!

“We’ll be working with exercises and stretches like these on an ongoing basis until they’re easier for you to do,” she said. “And be encouraged: You’ll notice that it becomes easier and less painful with time.” 

With Annie’s kind and gentle assistance, I accomplished a few simple exercises on the first day, including a bit of lifting and stretching, and finally, taking a sheet of illustrated

movements with me to perform at home. In summary, I can say that my first physical therapy session was encouraging, and not nearly as painful or difficult as I had expected.

The following are a few general questions and answers about physical therapy, also known as physiotherapy, I encountered on my own PT journey that you may want to consider..

1.  WHAT IS PHYSICAL THERAPY? 

       Physical therapy (physiotherapy) is care that aims to ease pain, and help you function, move, and live better. More specifically, it is a common treatment that can help you recover after an injury or surgery, or manage symptoms from a health condition that affects how you move. It is a combination of exercises, stretches, and movements that increase your strength, flexibility and mobility.

2. WHO PERFORMS PHYSICAL THERAPY?

      Physical therapy is performed by a health care professional called a physical therapist or physiotherapist.

3.   WHAT DOES PHYSICAL THERAPY TREAT?

       Physical therapy is usually performed after a health care provider diagnoses an injury or condition. Examples include:

• Sports injuries
• Neck pain
• Back pain
• Knee pain
• Hip pain
• Rotator cuff tears
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
• Strokes
• Spinal cord injuries

4. WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF PHYSICAL THERAPY?

     Physical therapy is a combination of hands-on techniques and exercises you perform with a physical therapist’s supervision. It can include:

• Stretching
• Strength training (with or without exercise equipment)
• Massage
• Heat or cold therapy
• Hydrotherapy
• Electrical nerve stimulation

5. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY?

     Physical therapy can work on any system in your body that controls your movement including your:

• Musculoskeletal system
• Nervous system
• Cardiopulmonary system
• Integumentary system (skin, hair, nails and glands)

     Physical therapy can strengthen parts of your body, including your:

• Muscles
• Bones
• Joints
• Heart
• Lungs

6.   IS PHYSICAL THERAPY WORTH IT?

      It might not be easy, but physical therapy is definitely worth it. You might feel stressed,

      tired or exhausted after a session, and you might feel as if your treatment is taking too

      long to produce results. However, your strength, flexibility and mobility will improve

      over time. Be patient and stick with it!

Louise Whiteside, a longtime resident of D.C. and Maryland, now resides in the Colorado Rockies where she loves memoir writing, bargain hunting, cooking, country music, theater, and travel.

LOCAL RESOURCES:

FX Physical Therapy, Annapolis
1834 George Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21401
(443) 441-0631

Severna Park Physical Therapy
877 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd.
Suite 111
Severna Park, MD 21146
(301) 200-9337

Mind Body Physical Therapy & Wellness
1400 Coppermine Ter.
Baltimore, MD 21209
(443) 279-1777