5 Great reasons to start or continue physical therapy before the end of the year
If you’ve never been to a physical therapist, you may not know some of it’s surprising benefits.
And if you have needed physical therapy (also known as PT) at some point, this article may still hold some surprising considerations.
But first things first. Like the not so subtle calendar to the right.
Yes, it’s that time again, when the old year is about ready to phase into a new one. For many of our readers, the little red circle at the end of the month sounds the alarm for just-oh-how-much still needs to get done.
But give us a few minutes and we’ll give you five reasons for the importance – and benefits – of fitting physical therapy into your end-of-the-year routine to jump start your healthy new year.
Reason 1
Take a minute to assess this past year.
If there’s one fact that we share it’s that we all got older.
Now, we’re not asking you to share your age, but just think about how you’re feeling overall.
Tired? A bit run-down?
Less energy, perhaps, or maybe just not feeling as healthy as you did at the beginning of the year.
As we age, we lose muscle mass and endurance. You may notice new aches and pains or popping – crunchy – noises in your joints. Physical therapy can address all these conditions, and our therapists (aka movement experts) can help with joint pain, arthritis, balance issues and teaching you how to make simple adjustments to your everyday movements to feel better and help prevent aches or an injury.
Physical therapy can be a great way to give your body a tune-up and move more easily.
Reason 2
Stress.
It’s a big enough reason that there are organizations dedicated to its study. A 2022 “Stress in America” study shows the worsening effects of stress in the U.S. The end-of-the-year holidays can increase stress and anxiety.
Many of our patients come to us with tension in the neck, shoulders and back. These are three main areas where stress can set in and have you feeling unwell.
Physical therapy, especially manual (hands-on) therapy and instrument-guided soft tissue mobilization therapy, can help relieve stress by relaxing muscles and pinpointing treatment to the connective tissue around the muscles.
Our therapists can also give tips for exercise and simple stretches that can do wonders for reducing stress.
Reason 3
Prehab.
Never heard about prehab?
Well, then this may just surprise you. If you’re headed for surgery in the New Year, pre-surgical physical therapy can be a helpful way to prepare now (the “pre”), and help you recover more quickly afterward (the “rehab”).
We see many good results using this approach with joint replacement surgery. So good, that we wrote a blog that includes the benefits of medical rehabilitation when combining physical therapy before and after surgery.
Post-operative studies show prehab leads to better outcomes, including:
- Fewer days in the hospital
- More stamina for physical exercise after discharge
- Getting familiar with therapy equipment – before surgery – that will be used in your rehabilitation
Reason 4
Injury prevention is often a less talked about benefit of physical therapy.
But we place just as much value on learning how to help prevent injury as on how to recover from injury.
Depending on where you live, the change in weather can mean more cold, snow and ice. And that can mean more slips, trips and falls.
But slips, trips and falls can happen in the home too, especially if you’re at a higher risk for falling due to balance issues, like vertigo or dizziness. Or maybe you need help learning to use a new assistive device safely, like a walker.
Physical therapists are familiar with body anatomy and how the body moves – it’s why we call them movement experts.
Their knowledge of a wide range of body parts makes them an excellent source for helping you learn exercises to strengthen and stabilize your muscles. These exercises are meant to help you stay safe and reduce the risk of falling.
For an athlete, sports injury prevention is important, and physical therapy can help with that too. Our physical therapists understand the risks in playing a sport and ways to reduce the most common types of injuries, like stress fractures, ACL tears and concussion.
Reason 5
End-of-year insurance benefits.
For those with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), this is money that needs to be spent by December 31 each year.
If you haven’t finished your full course of physical therapy sessions (usually between 6 and 10), don’t put it off. This is a great way to focus on your wellbeing during this busy time of year.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Saving Account (HSA) monies can be used for physical therapy and co-pays. If you haven’t already been applying your funds toward co-pays, December is the time to start. If you’re unsure about your insurance billing, we can help answer your questions.
And a final bonus benefit!
If you have a spending account balance remaining, you might consider using it to buy products that you use in our centers for your home exercise sessions. Check out the items we have on selectmedical.performancehealth.com and stay healthy and strong into the New Year.