Are You Taking Charge of Your Wellness?
WHAT IS HEALTH AND WELLNESS?
The terms health and wellness, while similar, are not interchangeable.
Health, according to the World Health Organization, refers to a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease, or infirmity
Wellness is defined as an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.
PHYSICAL THERAPY IS NOT JUST FOR TREATING INJURIES
Unless you never go online or watch TV, you are familiar with the explosion of health and wellness tricks, tips, gimmicks and gadgets being advertised everywhere. While some of this advice has merit, it can be difficult to know where to start. When it comes to physical health and wellness, it is a good idea to work with a professional who can tailor a program to meet your specific needs. Physical therapists, while often known as injury experts, also play an important role in promoting and achieving health and wellness for their clients. If you haven’t been diagnosed with an injury and you aren’t experiencing pain, you may wonder how working with a physical therapist can benefit you and help you achieve your goals of living a healthier lifestyle.
PHYSICAL THERAPISTS PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLNESS
When you work with a physical therapist for any reason they are thinking about many facets of your health. For example, when you are working with a physical therapist to treat an ankle sprain, they are not just considering the health and status of your ankle. They are also looking at how the skin or integumentary system is functioning, at your cardiovascular and respiratory system as it relates to how much physical activity and exercise you can tolerate, at your social emotional state and how that may create barriers or success in meeting your goals.
This skill uniquely positions physical therapists to assist their clients in taking an active role in their health, especially when it comes to physical activity and other healthy lifestyle choices like sleep and stress management. While there are other professionals that also offer these services, here are some reasons why choosing to work with a physical therapist is a smart choice:
If pain or injury is a barrier to getting more physically active, a physical therapist can help address and treat these symptoms while assisting you to increase your activity level
If you have a medical condition that has contributed to weakness, deconditioning or mobility impairments, your physical therapist will know how to adjust an exercise and wellness plan to keep you safe and help you succeed
A physical therapist can work closely with your doctor or other healthcare providers, if needed, to individualize a program that takes into consideration your health history
Your social, emotional and financial situation is just as important as your physical well being and a PT is trained to look at all aspects of your life to help you be successful
At physical therapy, the goal is to get you to a place where you feel empowered and ready to continue an active and healthy lifestyle without us. We will give you tools to do just that
WHAT HEALTH AND WELLNESS TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO PHYSICAL THERAPY CLIENTS?
General health and wellness treatments are available to all of our clients, even those who do not have a specific injury that needs to be rehabilitated. If you are interested in taking action to become more physically active and healthy, my team at Evolve is here to help. When our clients work with us, we empower them to become an active participant in improving their general health and making choices that support a happy and successful lifestyle. These are just some of the facets of health and wellness we address in physical therapy:
INJURY REHABILITATION
From small injuries to large injuries, physical therapy can help you recover the right way and improve your overall health.
INJURY PREVENTION
While physical therapists are injury rehabilitation specialists, we love to teach our clients the tools to prevent them in the first place.
CARDIOVASCULAR AND RESPIRATORY HEALTH
Heart and lung disease are serious causes of morbidity and mortality and while physical therapy cannot cure these conditions, it can help you safely and confidently return to a higher level of activity. If you are experiencing diminished cardiovascular and respiratory fitness, PTs can help you safely begin and progress an exercise program that should improve your ability to be active and participate in daily activities.
STRENGTH, MUSCLE MASS AND BONE DENSITY:
Loss of muscle mass, strength and power can lead to a sharp decline in function which can result in even greater levels of inactivity in addition to a greater reliance on assistive devices like walkers and wheelchairs and on family and care persons to assist us. As muscle mass declines, so often does bone density which can put a person at risk for serious fractures in case of a fall.
Physical therapy is an excellent option to rebuild muscle mass, strength and power in those that are unsure of where to start or how to progress. Similarly, our team of PTs can teach you how to exercise in a way to prevent this loss in the first place.
MOBILITY
No matter whether you walk on your own, use an assistive device like a cane or walker or propel yourself in a wheelchair, maximizing safety and independence with mobility is a goal of physical therapy for optimal health and wellness. Similarly, getting off the floor on one’s own, getting out of a chair without help and getting in and out of the bed, shower or car are other great mobility goals that physical therapy can address.
ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION
Being able to participate in the activities you love is an important aspect of wellness as well as physical, social and emotional health. If you have an injury, health condition or mobility limitation that is impacting your ability to participate in your favorite activities, physical therapists are an excellent resource.
THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION IS NOW
We hope you now realize how diverse the services of a physical therapist actually are. We love to help you live a pain and injury free lifestyle but even more, we want you to live a happy and healthy one. If you are looking for help addressing some of these areas in your life, our team of physical therapists is ready to support you. Call to learn more about our health and wellness programs and to get started with a physical therapist, today.
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About EvolveNY-
Brooklyn's Premier Holistic Physical Therapy Clinics- There’s physical therapy, there’s training, and then there’s EVOLVE. We use the science of biomechanics merged with fitness to help our patients get better and stay better!
First we evaluate, then we heal, then we strengthen our clients so they can reach their goals, feel better, and live happier lives. We do so by utilizing a range of core techniques and specialized treatments to reduce pain, improve mobility, enhance physical strength and deal with the underlying issues, not just the pain itself.
Multiple Brooklyn Physical Therapy Locations!
https://EvolveNY.com