3 Things You May Not Know Physical Therapy Can Be Used For
When it comes to physical therapy, you may not know much about it. As a type of medical therapy that can help you strengthen almost every part of your body, you may be wondering if it's right for you. In addition to helping people recover after surgery, there are a few surprising areas that it can help with that you may not know much about.
1. Urinary Incontinence
Whether you suffer from urinary incontinence because of a surgery like prostate removal or if you have had children, you know just how debilitating (and embarrassing) it can be. One of the unique things that physical therapy can be used for is to help patients strengthen their pelvic wall. By doing exercises like Kegels and learning to tighten the muscles surrounding the bladder, a lot of patients see real results without having to do something like undergo surgery.
2. Prevent Falls
As you age, one of the first things that tends to go is your ability to balance on your own. Similarly, patients who suffer from diseases like multiple sclerosis have weakened muscles that make then more at risk for falling. One of the unique things that physical therapy can help with is to strengthen the muscles and help restore your balance. By doing things like learning to balance on one foot and gain that muscle memory, a lot of patients see real results.
3. Lung Disease
Another unique thing that physical therapy can be used for is to help patients who suffer from lung disease. During physical therapy, therapists work to help strengthen the lungs by teaching patients to do controlled breathing exercises. By learning to control your breath, you can help to build up your ability to breathe better and you can help to essentially fight against lung disease.
One of the tricky things about physical therapy is that if you want it to work, you have to be really diligent with doing your exercises. If you don't do your exercises at least as often as your therapist recommends, you likely won't see results. Although you may do only a few months' worth of physical therapy, you should continue practicing your exercises while you are at home.
If you want to learn more about physical therapy and how you may benefit from it for specific conditions, reach out to a physical therapist near you today and ask them for a consultation appointment.