In the United States, the demand for physical therapy services is substantial. As of 2023, there are approximately 575,000 physical therapists in the U.S. Physical therapists (PTs) are often associated with treating sports injuries or aiding post-surgical recovery, but there are many lesser-known reasons someone might need to see a physical therapist. Here are a few:

Reasons to for Physical Therapy

Chronic Pain Management: Beyond common conditions like back pain, PTs can help with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome by developing personalized exercise programs and pain management strategies.

Headaches and Migraines: PTs can address musculoskeletal issues in the neck and upper back that contribute to chronic headaches and migraines through manual therapy, posture education, and exercises. A systematic review indicated that interventions like massage therapy, physiotherapy, relaxation training, and chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy could be as effective as medications such as propranolol and topiramate for migraine prevention​.

Vestibular Disorders: Conditions like vertigo and dizziness can be managed with vestibular rehabilitation therapy, which involves specific exercises designed to improve balance and reduce dizziness.

Jaw Pain (TMJ Disorders): Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders can cause jaw pain, headaches, and difficulty eating. PTs can use manual therapy and exercises to alleviate these symptoms.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Both men and women can experience pelvic floor issues, which may lead to incontinence, pelvic pain, or sexual dysfunction. Pelvic floor physical therapy can help strengthen these muscles and improve function.

Respiratory Issues: PTs can assist individuals with conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cystic fibrosis by providing breathing exercises and techniques to improve lung function and overall endurance.

Neurological Conditions: For conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or after a stroke, physical therapy can help maintain mobility, improve balance, and enhance overall physical function.

Cancer Rehabilitation: Cancer and its treatments can lead to significant physical impairments. PTs can help with fatigue, pain, weakness, and lymphedema management.

Lymphedema Management: Swelling often occurs after lymph node removal or damage. PTs trained in lymphedema management can provide manual lymphatic drainage and teach compression techniques.

Pediatric Development Issues: Children with developmental delays, cerebral palsy, or other congenital conditions can benefit from physical therapy to improve motor skills, strength, and coordination.

Work-Related Injuries: PTs can help with ergonomics and body mechanics to prevent and treat injuries caused by repetitive strain or poor workplace setup.

Women’s Health Issues: Conditions like prenatal and postnatal pain, osteoporosis, and recovery after mastectomy can be managed with the help of a physical therapist.

Sleep Disorders: Surprisingly, physical therapy can aid in managing conditions that affect sleep, such as sleep apnea, by improving posture and reducing neck tension.

Burn Recovery: Physical therapy can aid in the recovery process for burn victims by improving range of motion, strength, and function of affected areas.

These examples highlight the broad scope of physical therapy beyond the common perception, showcasing how PTs can play a vital role in managing a wide array of health conditions.

Everett, Washington Physical Therapy Center

At our physical therapy, chiropractic and massage center, we are dedicated to helping you overcome any issues you may be facing. Whether you are dealing with common conditions like sports injuries and post-surgical recovery or lesser-known challenges such as TMJ disorders, migraines, chronic pain, or vestibular issues, our team of skilled physical therapists is here to provide personalized, effective care. We employ a range of therapeutic techniques tailored to meet your specific needs, ensuring that you receive the best possible outcomes. Don’t let physical discomfort hold you back—contact us today to start your journey toward better health and well-being. Book an appointment today.

Sources:

Ibisworld.com
physio-pedia.com
saatva.com
healthpartners.com
cancer.wvumedicine.org
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
openai.com

There are lots of questions to answer when it comes to physical therapy, so let’s start with the obvious. What is physical therapy? Physical therapy is intentional, rehabilitative movement of the body that helps with mobility, pain reduction, restorative functions, and prevention of injuries. A physical therapist will create a plan to work with each patient to help with their particular issue. It may take a few weeks of physical therapy to correct or manage a problem or it may take several months, depending on the injury. Physical therapy treats both acute (sudden pain usually from an injury) and chronic pain (pain that lasts longer than three months). Therapists’ can use techniques such as massage, manual therapy, or acupuncture in addition to specific exercises.

PT: It’s Not Just for Sports

Physical therapy helps with many problems, such as back pain, neck pain, sports related injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, hip pain, strokes, spinal cord injuries, and brain injuries, among many others. In addition to acute pain, physical therapy can help with long term conditions like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

It isn’t just below the neck that physical therapists’ treat. They can also help with TMJ disorder. Temporomandibular joint disorder is pain in the muscle that connects the jawbone to the skull. People with TMJ disorder can experience intense facial pain and headaches, reduction of movement in the jaw, and pain around the ear(s). What physical therapy can do is drastically reduce pain in the area with exercises to strengthen and stretch the jaw muscles. Other treatments could include hot and cold ice on the area in pain.

Arthritic pain is an excellent reason to see a physical therapist. Not only can they help manage pain from arthritis, they can help slow down the process entirely. By evaluating your posture, body mechanics, and muscle imbalances, a physical therapist can help reduce pain, fatigue, and even improve overall balance in the body.

In addition to adults, children also benefit from physical therapy. Some common diagnoses that pediatric physical therapy addresses is toe walking, down syndrome, developmental delays, hypotonia (muscle weakness), autism, or sports and play related injuries.

One of the bigger questions that may loom if you are in pain is, when should you seek help from a physical therapist? The answer is simple: Look for a physical therapist if you have pain that is hindering your everyday life and is limiting your physical mobility. Your doctor may refer you to one, or you can seek one out yourself. Either way, you don’t need to stay in pain day after day. It is so important to see a physical therapist so you can treat the pain you have now and help prevent it in the future.

One of the uncommon ways to seek physical therapy (and perhaps one of the smartest), is preventatively. According to the Cleveland Clinic, using physical therapy before an injury can help mobility, balance and strength. Carpal tunnel may be caused by texting, a knee ache could have to do with the hips, and neck pain could be from typing. Being proactive about even small pains your body is having can help you move better, and figure out how to address it next time, said the article.

Another ailment physical therapy can help with is TMD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction). If you’ve heard of your TMJ (temporomandibular joint, aka, the bone that connects your jaw to your skull), you’ve probably had pain from it. You can tell if you have pain chewing, pain in your ear, face, jaw, or neck, headaches, or popping sounds when you open or close your mouth, says Healthline. It isn’t commonly known, but physical therapy can help with this. After identifying the problem, find a physical therapist that specializes in musculoskeletal problems with a craniofacial focus, says the American Physical Therapy Association. They will take a look at your posture, improving jaw movement, and may refer you to a dentist that can further help you. There are even special pain treatments like electrical stimulation and ultrasound to reduce severe cases of pain, says the article.

It may be commonly known by now, but it probably isn’t a party conversation; physical therapy for your pelvic floor. If you’re having issues with the urinary or reproductive parts of your body, there is a physical therapy for that, says WebMD. As a small anatomy refresher, the pelvic floor keeps the bladder in place in the front and the vagina and rectum in the back for a woman, and the bladder, bowels, urethra, and rectum in place for a man. It’s safe to say the pelvic floor is extraordinarily important. A physical therapist can take you through a specialized program of exercises to help relieve pain and restore muscle function. Some of the techniques include electrical stimulation, Kegels, trigger point therapy, and biofeedback, says the article.

There’s lots of ways physical therapy can help your overall health, prevent further injury, and keep you moving with ease. It may not be as dramatic as recovering from a sports injury as the team’s star player, but it really can make a big difference in your day to day life. There’s also nothing wrong with a little montage while you are at the physical therapist’s office, too.

Everett Physical Therapy

Those in the Snohomish County can look to Everett Spine & Rehab for professional, physical therapy. Whether you are looking for preventative care or post-injury rehab, we’re here to help!