Guide to what PT Really is as Well as Why

Is Physical Therapy Going to Fix Me?

There has been a major cultural swing over the past several years of people searching for more and more holistic solutions to pain. People are looking harder to really find “the truth.” Losing trust in pharmaceutical and medical companies, they search for alternative functional medicines, acupuncture, yoga and more. One holistic field people have underutilized is physical therapy. Seriously folks, this stuff works.  We’ve been raised to believe however that it doesn’t or it can’t. “You can’t fix me; I have a torn rotator cuff.” “I need to get an MRI before I do anything so I know what’s going on.” Let me just tell you- I don’t agree. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in this business.

Does Physical Therapy Work? How?

Yes- but not if its not performed with quality and attention to detail. What we try to do in PT is find the why. Sure you have a torn rotator cuff, but why? And if you get it repaired, who’s to say it won’t just re-tear? Is it possible you can rehab it correctly and live with this tear like many of us do and have an athletically functioning, pain-free shoulder? These are the questions we need to ask. What’s worse is that so many of the people who have tried physical therapy have had less than great experiences. Cookie cutter, if you will.  They find themselves quickly realizing they could be googling the exercises or doing them at home without supervision. They get left alone on machines, instructed to do the same exercises over and over again without critical eyes on them. This frustrates me as a clinician, because it means that this person (along with the people they talk to) has understandably written off PT as just another thing that doesn’t work. I know that it does work. The problem is, however, that they have only gotten a small taste of what PT can truly be. We did not become doctors to throw someone on a machine and tell them to pedal!!!

Trem Therapy Solutions was created to move out of this model. Physical therapy should be specific, scientific and effective. The approach should be rooted in a deep commitment to truly personalized care, ensuring that the most advanced and effective treatments support each patient’s journey toward recovery and wellness. What about your body truly is not working right? I believe PT is the future. Too ambitious? You tell me. It’s real, it’s natural, it gets to the bottom of the true problem, and it works… long term. 

The realm of physical therapy encompasses a variety of techniques designed to address a wide range of physical challenges. It can be complicated-yes- but it is extremely effective. From chronic pain management and post-surgical rehabilitation to the treatment of acute injuries and enhancement of athletic performance, the scope of physical therapy is broad yet focused on achieving tangible results. The benefits PT extend far beyond immediate symptom relief. Our goal is to completely enhance quality of life while giving patients the tools and knowledge to live with this quality confidently and  long term.

Direct Access Physical Therapy and When to Use it

Just opening your mind to PT as a solution to your pain can be a milestone. Like anything, taking the initiative to try something new and get started truly is the hardest part. Fortunately, we have what is called “direct access.” This means that we do not need a referral from a physician to initiate PT.  As PTs, we are reshaping the model to become the first line of defense if you have pain or injury. We are Board-Certified Doctors of Physical Therapy and specialists in understanding the musculoskeletal system. This means if that you hurt, you don’t need to wait to get into your family doctor or surgeon. Just call us and we can start figuring things out immediately.  Often people wonder, “Do I need an MRI to figure out what’s going on first?” The answer is simple- no. We can screen and evaluate to determine if there is something that is serious enough to warrant an MRI (an important part of our curriculum and continuing education). The majority of the time, however, there is not. In this case, we can diagnose your injury using our evaluation, right then and there. Then we can get started on actually making you better rather than spending months performing various tests.  Here are some key indicators that it might be time to consider physical therapy:

Chronic Pain: Persistent discomfort that lingers for months, affecting your daily life and well-being. Our evaluation is designed to find the root causes of your pain, offering lasting relief. As a rule of thumb, if something does not resolve on its own within 30 days, it will not resolve without some kind of treatment.

Reduced Mobility: Difficulty performing everyday tasks, such as climbing stairs, bending over, or getting dressed suggests decreased mobility. Physical therapy can enhance your movement and flexibility, allowing you to live more freely.

Pain During Activity: If you find that doing the things you love becomes tied to having pain, please see your PT. The pain may come during the activity or may even come later that night, when you get out of the car arriving home, or even the next morning. A lot of times, this is the stage of pain people tend to wait around and endure. They hope it will resolve itself or just ignore it until it gets so bad that they have no choice but to find help. They may take a couple weeks off from the aggravating activity to get relief, and then find as soon as they return, the pain returns. Be the exception to the rule and go get PT now. The earlier you address it, the easier it will be to treat- guaranteed. 

Recovery from Injury: Whether it’s a sports injury, accident, or post-surgical recovery, physical therapy plays a crucial role in your rehabilitation. When you have injuries, things happen in your body beyond the simple changes that your imaging may not point out. Our physical therapy in Ohio focuses on restoring strength, mobility, reducing sensitivity and restoring full function to the injured area, promoting a quicker and more complete recovery.

Balance Issues: Instability could indicate problems with balance. There are three major components to balance and when you start to lose balance, it is a sign something in these areas is not operating at full capacity. These CAN BE TREATED with PT.

Joint Stiffness: If your joints feel stiff, especially after periods of inactivity, physical therapy can help restore joint mobility and reduce discomfort.

Acute Pain: Most frequent is acute low back pain or acute neck pain. It can come in other regions as well however. Doing the right things right off the bat can make a profound difference in how well and quickly you recover. Usually there is something very small to identify that will be the key to your recovery. Often times this will be done with a shorter plan of care, just to guide you back on path.

How Physical Therapy Can Help

We understand how debilitating pain can be. It’s not just a matter of discomfort; it affects your ability to work, enjoy life, and even perform simple daily activities. You ARE NOT ALONE in this. We see it every single day and continue to help people get the relief they need. We are dedicated to providing effective physical therapy in Ohio. Here, we’ll try to explain briefly how our approach works.

Physical Therapy Evaluation: The First and Most Important Step to Effective Treatment

We must identify the underlying cause of your pain as the first step. This allows us to shape treatment effectively. For example, many people fail with shoulder treatment over and over again because their true cause of pain is a pinched nerve in the neck. 

Manual Therapy: Hands-On Relief

One of the cornerstones of our physical therapy approach is manual therapy. This technique involves hands-on manipulation of the soft tissues and joints. It’s designed to decrease pain, improve range of motion, and facilitate movement. Manual therapy can particularly benefit those suffering from lower back pain and neck pain, offering immediate relief and springboarding us to create long-term benefits.

Strengthening and Flexibility Exercises

This is not always what you imagine. Many people try to build a strong core with ab exercises in hopes that it will give them lower back pain relief. It doesn’t usually work. Typically there a few very key small muscles that are not firing properly and contribute to pain. We identify these and load them in a very specific way. Other issues may have nothing to do with strength at all.  On the flexibility front, if you have a limitation in range of motion, then finding the key to unlocking this is also vital. Often times it is not as simple as just “stretching it-” it takes more and may surprise you how it works. 

Pain Management Education: Empowering You

Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to managing and getting rid of pain. Education is important to understand how your activities and positions affect your body. There are some cliches with these sorts of things such as posture, and many of them are not true. In fact, we may tell you the exact opposite of what you’ve always heard. Oftentimes there are some key things in your daily lifestyle that you do not realize are drastically impacting your pain. It is our job to identify these things and address them in a way that is easy and realistic.

Choosing the Right Physical Therapy

Although many people may not like to hear it, finding a place that offers “cash-based “ PT (not billed through your insurance) is highly recommended. By simply operating under this model, the care immediately becomes better. The clinician is allowed to put 100% of their efforts into truly treating you to their maximum ability, providing an entirely different world of treatment. Although it may seem strange to pay for something that you know you can pay for with insurance, but its truly not the case. The PT you pay for with your insurance and the PT you pay for out of pocket are two entirely different things.  We choose to operate this way because we want to see people really get better. We want to work for you. If you go to get PT and you find you are doing the same routine every time you go in and spending a large portion of your time on machines, it’s time to look somewhere else. 

Tying It All Together

Navigating the journey to recovery is difficult. We understand this. You hear about yoga and a chiropractor from your friends. Others may tell you it’s your diet that’s your issue. Someone may have told you that you need surgery and that your pain will never go away without it. These things can all be overwhelming. What do you do?! We try to simplify things here to make it less overwhelming and more feasible. We do not agree that pain can’t be rid without surgery. Even if you do have a herniated disc or torn rotator cuff. Take action today for a healthier tomorrow and you won’t regret it. Call now.

If you have any questions at all or have pain that you would like to be seen for, please Contact Trem Therapy Solutions for a consultation.

I hope this article was helpful. Be well, everyone!

-Andy

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