Physical Therapy Understanding the Most Common Reasons and What it Involves

Physical therapists assist those with illness or injuries that limit movement in order to improve the ability to move and aid in the management of pain. Pain associated with injuries can be severe and be enough to limit movement by itself when not managed correctly. The most common reasons for physical therapy are an injury or disease that results in severe limitations of movement. Physical therapy needs include recovering from injuries related to sports, Arthritis, Osteoarthritis and other chronic diseases, issues before or following surgical procedures, pain, chronic fatigue, mobility and balance problems. Injuries to the muscles, muscle sprains, pain in the lower back, Neuro- rehabilitation, and pressure in the abdomen.

Medical reasons for physical therapy often lead to other rehabilitation and medical services being combined with the physical aspects of treatment.  Healing and restoration of functioning are achieved with the use of non-invasive techniques and devices. The overall well-being, fitness and health of the patient are the focus of the therapy. There has been an increase in the need for physical therapists as fitness club enrollments and the number of extreme sports participants increases as well as the populations elderly increasing.

Physical therapy neck exercises are performed in an effort to reduce stress levels in the shoulders and neck which can cause muscle tension resulting in improper posture and other symptoms. A complete medical history and physical assessment of the patient to develop a complete plan for therapy which will optimize the success rate of exercises. The most common reasons for physical therapy involving the neck is to prevent permanent injury or damage from being done. There are diseases that limit the mobility and a group of people to support the patient will include:

• The family and friends of the patient provide support and motivation
• Occupational therapist aids patient in relearning everyday tasks such as dressing, eating and other self - help skills
• Spine specialist
• Physical therapist 

A program personalized to the patient is designed to treat surgical procedure recovery or injury to suit the patients individual needs. All of the support personnel will help to regulate medications, exercises and overall management of pain. Treatment programs designed by the therapists could include:

• Flexibility and general conditioning
• Muscle strengthening
• Pain management programs to enable the patient to actually perform exercises
• Ultrasound to check for additional injuries or conditions that can interfere with the performance of exercises
• Electrical stimulation
• Ice reduces bruising or swelling
• Home exercise programs ensure patients are able to continue therapy at home without having to go to a clinic for therapy while remaining as mobile as possible<
• Soft tissue massage
• Joint mobilization
• Moist heat which includes moist heating packs, steamed towels or hot baths to help heat penetrate the muscles
• Iontophoresis
• Paraffin
• Passive range of motion - improves patient movement at the joints, reduces stiffness 

Physical therapy needs will affect the goals that are set by the therapist. The activity level and type of activity will also factor into the design of the program. The restoration of the mobility and function of the joints, decrease inflammation and pain, gain strength in the muscles and allow the patient to return to previous sports and other activities as they can tolerate them. Including physical therapy neck exercises in the patients program can aid in the reduction of tension allowing other exercises to be performed with less difficulty.

The need for physical therapists is increasing as the population ages and extreme sports grow in popularity the number of injuries that could be debilitating increases. The goal of the physical therapy session is to make patients as mobile as possible and return them to the previous quality of life that they enjoyed prior to the medical reasons for physical therapy accident or illness that led to limited movement or paralysis. The most common reasons for physical therapy are often injury or illness and are sometimes unavoidable.