Do I Need a Prescription for Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy provides a number of advantages, including reduced discomfort, improved function, expanded range of motion, improved posture, and more. Physical therapy, which consists of a combination of functional exercises and instruction about how your body operates, has numerous advantages. Physical therapists can help you manage chronic pain, recover from an injury, or even improve your athletic performance. Do I need a prescription for physical therapy? That is the million-dollar question. And, in a nutshell, the answer is no. By starting the healing process with your physical therapist and using direct access physical therapy, you can avoid all of that and obtain the following benefits:

Save money & have fun

Each doctor’s appointment normally costs a copay, coinsurance, or deductible payment. On the front end, fewer doctor’s appointments can save money, and on the back end, fewer physical therapy visits can save money. Physical therapy may provide a lot more than strength and healing if you find the appropriate practitioner. Physical therapists, for the most part, adore their professions, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Their contagious energy makes for fun treatment sessions. Essentially, once you’ve completed physical therapy, you’ll feel as if you’ve made a new friend.

Recovery

Many injuries or unfavorable events, such as a stroke or a car accident, can benefit from physical therapy. An expert can help you decide which muscle groups require attention and offer functional workouts that target these areas. This can help patients gain strength, flexibility, and greater health over time, and in some situations, even avoid surgery.

Lower risk of reinjury

Moving the wrong direction after a strain, rip, or other trauma can add to the stress on your wound. A physical therapist will evaluate your injuries and teach you which actions are normally safe and which may aggravate your discomfort or cause more damage.

Improve balance

While many people think of physical therapy as a remedy for injuries, it can also be used to prevent injuries. Physical therapy is commonly used to help older individuals move around without the use of walkers or canes, as well as to prevent falls, which can result in broken bones and other injuries.

Help with chronic pain

A physical therapist can assess a patient’s condition and develop a plan to help them manage their chronic pain, whether it’s due to an injury or an illness like arthritis or fibromyalgia. In fact, a study of over 88,000 persons with musculoskeletal pain discovered that even one session of physical therapy soon after diagnosis might minimize the quantity of opioids (very addictive pain medicines) a person took. This has the potential to lessen reliance on these treatments while also resulting in better overall health.

Improve performance

Physical therapy isn’t simply for addressing injuries; it may also assist people improve their athletic performance. An expert will decide which muscles to target and the best workouts to help you increase your strength and flexibility, allowing you to score more goals or set a new personal best. Attending physical therapy on a regular basis can also help to prepare your muscles for the repetitive movements of your sport, lowering your chance of injury.