6 Signs You Need to See a Physical Therapist
By: Dr. Danielle Ivie, DPT, CSCS
Owner of Powered x Movement LLC
If you have a body, you are an athlete. That is our mantra at Powered by Movement, and we help you keep moving to live your healthiest, pain-free life.
If you move your body and exercise each week consistently, we congratulate you. You are already ahead of most of the American population, keep it up! Exercise is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth. Benefits of regular exercise include improved mood, better quality of sleep, reduced pain markers, and decreased risk of dying from all causes.
So, what do you do when something interferes with your exercise routine? Well, that’s when a physical therapist comes in. Physical therapists are experts in the human movement system and specialize in helping you stay out of pain and keep doing the activities you love. You probably think of a physical therapist when you sprain your ankle or twist your knee, but there are so many other ways physical therapy can benefit you and help you reach your long term health & wellness goals.
Let’s dive into how physical therapy can help you and when to know it is time to see a physical therapist.
Here are the Top 6 Signs You Need to See a Physical Therapist:
- You have a new injury or pain problem. This is the most common reason to seek out care from a physical therapist. If you have had a fall, incident or recent injury, reach out to a physical therapist ASAP. Starting physical therapy within 2 weeks of injury and/or pain results in better functional outcomes, decreased risk of chronic pain and better quality of life. Did you know that you can go straight to physical therapy? In the state of Missouri, a referral is required for treatment, but physical therapists can evaluate you without a referral. If you experience any new pain, call a physical therapist so they can help you get timely, efficient care and get you back to the activities you love.
- You have a performance goal that you want to achieve. As experts in the human movement system, physical therapists can help you improve mobility, strength and power to reach all of your performance goals. Whether your goals are to improve your golf swing, pick up your grandchildren with ease, or be an athlete until you are 100 years old – we can help! You do not have to be in pain to benefit from physical therapy. In fact, getting ahead of mobility and strength deficits can help you reduce risk of injury and improve quality of life by sticking to activities you love.
- You are an athlete who wants to avoid injury. Playing sports can be challenging on our bodies with so many repetitive movements. “Overuse” injuries are some of the most prevalent injuries we treat. However, are we actually overusing our bodies? Or have we not built the capacity to perform at the level of athletics we demand from our body? Getting in to see a physical therapist and work on sport specific demands and capacity can help improve your performance in sport and reduce risk of those pesky overuse injuries.
- You work a job that is high risk for injury.Are you on your feet all day? Lifting heavy objects? Operating machinery? Not all jobs are desk jobs, and we are here to support you! Similar to repetitive movements in specific sports, work can take a toll on your body. If you work a physically demanding job, physical therapy can help you train for life! Get through your day with ease and have energy once you are home to be present with loved ones.
- You want a safe transition to getting back to exercise. This is one of our favorite things to help you with! Have you ever rehabbed from an injury just to realize you can go through your work day and home life, but have no clue how to get back to exercise? This is where we come in! After an injury, physical therapy does not end when you are out of pain, that is only the beginning. Our top priority is to guide you through staying as active as possible through injury rehabilitation and ensuring that you return to exercise safely and stronger than you were before. If you have struggled to get into an exercise program due to fear of injury or uncertainty about the best movements for you, it is time to call a physical therapist.
- You want to improve your balance and strength for healthy aging. If you have a body, you are an athlete. Let’s strive to be athletes until we are 100 years old! We will say it again – exercise is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth. The best part about this is, even if you have fallen off track, your body is capable and resilient! We can make individualized, progressive changes to improve balance and strength for healthy aging. If you are having excessive aches and pains with sleeping, getting out of bed, or doing daily tasks that used to be easier for you – this is a sign you need a physical therapist!
If you are struggling with injury or have a new health/fitness goal, reach out to us today for a free consultation. Call 314-252-0504 or Contact Us Today for more information on how we can help you live your most active, pain-free life.
At PXM, we firmly believe that the human body is powered by movement and yours is no exception. We help you get out of pain and back to the activities you love with our 3 Step Process:
- POWER UP: Diagnose and understand the root cause of your pain
- POWER BOOST: Create a custom plan for you to restore function and get back to what you love.
- POWER PEAK: Optimize your strength and performance to prevent pain from returning.
Move well and move often!
Dr. Danielle Ivie, DPT, CSCS
Powered by Movement, LLC
567 Hanley Industrial Ct., Brentwood, MO 63144
314-252-0504 | www.poweredxmovement.com