Mobility is something that the majority of people take for granted. It is not until they are faced with an injury or illness that impedes their mobility that they realize how big a blessing being able to move around freely really is. Physical therapy is designed to use evidence-based healthcare procedures to effectively provide treatment for injuries or ailments that limit a person’s mobility. Physical therapy can at times relieve pain, remove the need for surgery, and allow a patient to live without using prescription drugs. Sports physical therapy of New York clinics work with patients to help them get back to living the life they did before their injury.

Improving Mobility and Motion

Physical therapists understand how important pain-free movement is to living a quality life. If a person cannot move without pain, they may not be able to work, enjoy their favorite hobbies, or spend quality time with friends and family.

Normal physical activity is essential to maintaining good health. It is estimated that in the United States 18 percent of adults die from obesity. Obesity can only be prevented by normal physical activity.

Normal mobility allows a person to be physically independent. Researchers have seen a link between a reduction in heart attack risk and walking. Being able to walk normally has also been linked to reducing knee arthritis, hip fractures, and strokes.

Avoiding Surgery and Prescription Drugs

There are certain circumstances where a person may need surgery or prescription drugs after receiving a traumatic injury from an automobile accident, playing sports, or from tripping and falling. However, there is a growing body of evidence that shows that treatments like physical therapy can be just as effective and in some instances more cost-effective.

A good example of this is lower back pain. There is abundant evidence that points to physical therapy as a viable way for reducing lower back pain. It is a cost effective treatment because physical therapy can be performed without using costly advanced imaging scans like MRIs. Additionally, physical therapy minimizes the likelihood of surgery or injections to treat lower back pain.

Customizing Physical Therapy Treatments

Physical therapy treatments are customized to meet the needs of the patient. Two people can sustain the same injury and yet require completely different physical therapy treatments in order to achieve good results. Factors such as the age of the individual, their overall physical health, and their strength and stamina are taken into consideration when designing a physical therapy treatment. At the end of the day, the goal of physical therapy is to help patients recover their mobility, recover their strength, avoid unnecessary prescriptions, and if possible avoid surgery.