MSK physical therapy is used to address a wide range of conditions. Anyone who is experiencing pain or discomfort with movements or with different postures can likely benefit from our services. MSK physical therapy is performed by licensed physical therapists who have been trained in the assessment and treatment of the musculoskeletal system. This includes any conditions that affect the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia and other connective tissue.
As we move throughout our life, most of us will experience an injury, need surgery, or find ourselves dealing with chronic irritation or discomfort somewhere in our body. It is easy to disregard our body’s signals that it is not moving or performing optimally but this can just prolong your recovery and predispose you to ongoing problems. With MSK physical therapy, our therapists will work to identify underlying issues and address them head on so that you can move strongly and without pain.

WHAT CONDITIONS DOES AN MSK PHYSICAL THERAPISTS TREAT?

An MSK physical therapist can treat any condition affecting the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia and other connective tissue. Here is a list of some of the common musculoskeletal conditions our therapists treat:

• TMJ disorders
• Back and neck pain
• Other joint pain (knee, ankle, foot, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand)
• Arthritis
• Post-surgery (examples: ACL repair, bunion repair, hip or knee replacement, carpal tunnel surgery, spinal fusion, and many, many more)
• Fracture recovery
• Rotator cuff injury
• Muscle strain
• Ligament sprains
• Muscle contusions
• Joint replacement recovery (knee, shoulder, hips, etc.)
• Headaches
• Muscle stiffness and tightness

If you decide to work with a MSK physical therapist to help correct your MSK related issues, your entire treatment plan could consist of around 8-20+ different physical therapy sessions that will each last 60-90 minutes. Once you complete your customized back pain physical therapy treatment plan, you will be able to continue to do the prescribed stretches and exercises utilized during your back pain PT sessions yet in the comfort of your own home.

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE PHYSICAL THERAPY OVER OTHER TREATMENTS?

The art of physical therapy is one that balances a reactive and proactive approach. Many of our patients and clients come to us needing help to recover from an injury, illness, or chronic issue that is impacting their life. By getting to the root cause of these issues, our physical therapists aim to reduce symptoms like pain, stiffness, swelling, or coordination difficulties. By doing so, they can then focus on restoring normal strength, flexibility and mobility so that our clients can get back to the activities they need or want to perform in their daily lives more comfortably and successfully.
While my team and I love working with our patients, what we love even more is when our patients leave with the knowledge and ability to care for their own bodies and prevent the recurrence of future problems. Empowering our patients with the knowledge of how to maintain a strong, resilient, and healthy body is an important part of our practice. We will always be here to help our patients but we are thrilled to know that they also know how to help themselves in many situations.
At EvolveNY we will react to a musculoskeletal injury or issue with appropriate and individualized treatment but we are also here to be proactive and identify and address problems before they turn into full blown injuries.

THE BENEFITS OF BEING PROACTIVE

One important aspect of MSK physical therapy is being proactive and heading off pain, dysfunction and injury whenever possible. If you are experiencing minor pain or irritation, don’t ignore it. If you are starting a new sport or activity that will put new stresses and demands on your body, it’s time to get checked out. Physical therapists are movement experts and through careful observation and testing we can identify areas of weakness, issues with motor control and coordination or loss of flexibility that may predispose you to injury risk and decrease overall performance. By taking a proactive stance and getting assessed by a MSK physical therapist, you will have a customized exercise and mobility program that will help you to continue to enjoy and excel at your favorite activities.

Can You Benefit from Physical Therapy for Back Pain?

This method of physical therapy can be beneficial for both children as well as adults. Anyone who is suffering from MSK related pain and irritation that is often associated with a serious injury may benefit from physical therapy for MSK pain exercises and stretches.

Restoring Alignment & Muscle Symmetry: With the ever-changing nature of the human body, you may find that your muscles have shifted. Exercises used with physical therapy for MSK pain can help you to restore muscle symmetry, as well as the alignment of your spine.

Breathing Exercises: With MSK physical therapy, focusing on breathing is very important. Utilizing specialized breathing techniques will help with healing affected areas quicker.

Posture Awareness: When someone has pain or an injury, there are certain postures that may make their condition worse. Therefore, it is important to be aware of your posture. Once you are aware of how different postures may affect you, it will be easier to begin trying to correct your condition or injury.

Pain Management: People living with MSK related pain typically have to tolerate pain related aches and pain everyday, leading to a loss of quality of life. Our physical therapists can help by using different manual therapy techniques and other modalities, along with specialized stretches, massages, and exercises to help reduce pain associated with your specific condition.

Should I consider MSK physical therapy?

Chronic Pain: If you or your child has chronic pain they may benefit from physical therapy exercises and manual therapy.

With MSK physical therapy the main goal is to prevent your condition from continuing to decline even more. This noninvasive method has been proven to prevent injury, as well as improve alignment and mobility of the back and supporting muscles and tendons.If you or someone you care about is suffering from MSK related pain or MSK related injury, then physical therapy may be the perfect option. To learn more about MSK physical therapy, or to schedule a free consultation, feel free to reach out to my team and I today.