Physical therapy can be a vital form of care for many patients. As a result of this not being a treatment that individuals need on a routine basis, there is ample room for misinformation.

Myth: Physical Therapy Is Only For Restoring Strength

Physical therapy patients are often in need of having their strength improved. However, there is also often a need for these patients to have their flexibility and muscular conditioning improved. The physical therapy sessions will largely be structured around the needs of the patient, which will make it important for them to work closely with the primary medical provider. This will often take the form of sharing files, letters and phone calls to ensure the therapist knows the exact problems the patient is experiencing.

Myth: Sports Injuries Are The Only Problem That Is Treated With Physical Therapy

Sports injuries will often require physical therapy to allow the patient to fully recover. However, there are many situations where a patient might require this treatment. Individuals recovering from surgery will also often benefit from these treatments as well as those that suffer from certain chronic and acute medical problems. Due to the wide range of problems that can be treated with physical therapy, patients are often surprised when they are referred to these specialists by the primary medical provider.

Myth: Physical Therapy Treatments Will Always Be Needed For Months Or Years

Individuals that are referred to physical therapy often assume that they will be forced to undergo these treatments for extremely long periods of time. However, these treatments can be extremely effective at allowing a patient to rapidly recover from their condition. In fact, those with mild physical therapy needs may only need to undergo a few weeks of these treatment sessions. Each patient will recover at their own unique pace, and this can lead to variations in treatment times. An experienced physical therapy professional will be able to provide informed estimates based on your progress through the treatments.

Myth: Physical Therapy Sessions Are Mostly Massages

Massage treatments can be an important aspect of your physical therapy sessions. However, most of these treatments will be focused on muscle conditioning and stretching. This can lead to some discomfort for the patient, but it should be comparable to mild exercise. At the start of these sessions, your therapist will tell you to alert them if you start to experience excessive pain or discomfort. Unfortunately, some form of discomfort is often unavoidable as physical therapy patients often have extreme stiffness or strength issues that will make some of these sessions uncomfortable.

Contact a clinic, like Hands-On Physical Therapy , for more help.