The Role of Physical Therapy in Your Rehabilitation

The role of physical therapy in your rehabilitation is a multi-stage process. After the initial healing phase, it’s time to get to work with a physical therapist to restore your strength and endurance. Physical therapy is a highly personalized form of rehabilitation. Your therapist will customize your program to suit your specific rehabilitation goals, lifestyle, and underlying medical conditions.

Physical therapy improves your strength and functional abilities

Physical therapists usually focus first on improving pain control. Once your symptoms are properly managed, you can begin to work on rebuilding your muscle strength. Acute and chronic injuries alike can lead to the decline of strength, flexibility, range of motion, and endurance. Your physical therapist will help you get moving again in ways that do not risk a recurrence of your symptoms.

Physical therapy is customizable to your lifestyle and preferences

Many people who work with physical therapists are athletes who long to get back on the field or in the gym. Others regret that their physical limitations hold them back from playing with their kids or getting their work done. When your physical therapist designs your rehabilitation program, he or she will focus on the goals that matter most to you. Ideally, physical therapy can completely restore lost functional abilities so you can get back to the lifestyle you previously enjoyed.

Physical therapy reduces the risk of future injuries

Rehabilitation is a gradual process that requires a substantial investment in time and effort. Once you’re healed, avoiding another injury is going to be a priority for you. Your physical therapist can help with this by showing you the proper techniques for performing various movements. You’ll also learn effective ways of maintaining your physical conditioning to prevent recurrent injuries. Runners, for example, can learn how to strengthen the supporting structures around the knee joint to prevent knee injuries.