Common Questions for Physical Therapists

February 22, 2019 5:30 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Physical therapists often meet people at particularly trying periods of their lives. We treat young people who have had sports injuries, people suffering the bone-deep pain that results from car accidents and people of all ages and all walks of life dealing with pain or inhibited physical functioning.

We remain positive and transparent through the entire process, more than happy to answer questions and comfort and encourage our patients to get the most out of their therapy work. If you need physical therapy, finding the right practitioner can be challenging, and not knowing what to expect can be frightening.

With that in mind, we’ve put together this post to answer some of the questions asked of us most frequently. If you’re looking for a physical therapy clinic in Napa County, CA, we hope this guide will help you know what to look for and what to expect.

What is physical therapy like?

Physical therapy is designed to assist people in recapturing as much physical functioning as possible. Some common causes of physical decline include stroke, heart attack, sports injuries, accident-related injuries and aging. Your therapist will build a curriculum of exercises and therapies specifically designed for the dysfunctions or injuries you’re facing. You set a realistic goal with your physical therapist, and then you work bit by bit on your body to reach those goals.

Does physical therapy really work?

By far the most important question we’re asked is, “Will physical therapy make me better?” We can say that in almost all cases physical therapy is going to improve your quality of life and your independence. In some cases—such as in young people facing sports-related injuries—we do see 100 percent recovery, though in the vast majority of heart attacks, strokes and traumatic accidents, 100 percent recovery is not always realistic. That being said, the path to recovery is different for every person, and some people, especially the young, are able to recover the vast majority of full functioning with some lingering effects. Continued physical therapy can help when there are remaining issues.

Why does physical therapy require so much work?

Physical therapy is about working with your body’s natural healing systems to get the most out of your recovery process. Targeted exercises are specifically designed to work with the body to rebuild and reinforce strength, nerve function and connection between muscles and the brain. In the long run, these exercises will vastly decrease your pain, though in the short term it requires a lot of repetition.

How is physical therapy different for younger and older people?

With older people, the main difference is that physical therapy will be on a longer timeline. At the same time, for many older people, especially those who have gotten out of the habit of exercising, physical therapy can have additional and surprising positive effects on energy level, attitude and mental clarity. While it may take longer for particular injuries to heal, older patients often receive more unexpected benefits from therapy than the young.

Visit our physical therapy clinic in Napa County, CA

Focus Forward Wellness & Physical Therapy is one of the premier physical therapy clinics in Napa County, CA. Our expert team of therapists believes in treating the whole person, not just their injuries. If you need physical therapy, we know we can help. Call us today to book an appointment.

Categorised in:

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *