My "Why" Part 2- Why Exercise Therapy?
My “Why” Part 2
This is part 2 of 3 of my introductory blog series My “Why” detailing the purpose and motivation behind Hutch Health Services. Check back for part 3 in the next few weeks!
Why This?
Why specialize in Exercise Therapy?
Exercise Therapy
As physical therapists, we consider ourselves to be the foremost experts in movement dysfunction. If you have difficulty moving like you want or need, physical therapy can help. At some point during our lives, everyone can benefit from working with a physical therapist.
Exercise-based Physical Therapy, (Exercise Therapy for short) is the practice of using exercise as medicine to treat movement dysfunction.
Consistently in the research, physical activity and exercise are found to be efficient and effective treatments for the majority of common injuries and illness. Exercise is effective in improving the health of all our major body systems. Reducing inflammation, improving cognitive function, digestion, sleep quality, mental health...the list goes on and on. Imagine a magic pill that improved every body system and helped with the recovery from almost every illness or injury. That is the power that exercise can have on our bodies when prescribed appropriately.
Exercise Prescription
Let’s go back to the idea of exercise as a form of medicine.
-Just like there are different medications for different conditions, there are also different exercises for different conditions.
-As with medicine, the dosage of exercise prescribed varies from person to person.
-Similar to medications, exercise has possible side effects (mostly increased pain, stiffness, or swelling) that need to be monitored
When it comes to medicinal exercise, your physical therapist works with you to determine the appropriate exercise prescription to suit your needs. Based on medical history, current condition, clinical examination, and exercise experience, the physical therapist prescribes an initial exercise program. That prescription is then modified during follow-up treatment sessions based on client feedback and response, until both the PT and the client are satisfied with the results.
The Why
In addition to exercise prescription, physical therapists offer more passive treatments including manual therapy techniques, taping, dry-needling, cupping, electrical stimulation, hot and cold therapies, and ultrasound. Certainly there are situations where these treatments are helpful, particularly for short-term pain relief, and I use them in my practice when warranted. However, I choose to center the majority of my treatment strategies around exercise prescription. Why? Because:
Exercise therapy focuses on empowering clients by making them active participants in their care, rather than passive recipients.
Exercise is shown to be effective in the treatment of most musculoskeletal conditions, as well has having massive positive effects on our general health and well-being
Exercise therapy allows the client to effectively perform self care, reducing the amount of follow-up sessions required to achieve long term results
If you are having difficulty moving in the ways that you want or need, value the ability to care for your own health, and want to learn safe, sustainable strategies to recover from injury or illness without costly drugs, injections, surgeries, or frequent follow-up care, exercise-based physical therapy can help. Interested? Book a session with Hutch Health Services today!