The benefit of physical therapy

October is National Physical Therapy month. Here are some of the services that Henry County Health Center?s (HCHC) Rehabilitation Services has to offer.

It is the department?s goal to provide patients with high quality care close to home and delivered by trustworthy people. HCHC offers physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and athletic training services, and are able to treat everything from a simple sprain to orthopedic surgeries, strokes and work related injuries.

Below is a list of many of the most common diagnosis treated at HCHC:

?Orthopedic and sports injuries/Athletic bump and bruise

?Aquatic therapy

?McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy

?Low back and radicular leg/buttock symptoms

?Headaches and neck pain

?Balance and gait impairments

?Fibromyalgia/chronic pain/arthritis

?OT adaptive devices education/training

?Hand and upper extremity/splinting

?Swallowing and speech disorders

Benefits of physical therapy

Physical therapists are evidence-based health care professionals who offer cost-effective treatment that improves mobility and relieves pain, reduces the need for surgery and prescription drugs, and allows patients to participate in a recovery plan designed for their specific needs.

Improve mobility and motion

Physical therapists are experts in improving mobility and motion. Pain-free movement is crucial to your quality of daily life, your ability to earn a living, your ability to pursue your favorite leisure activities, and so much more.

For example:

?Movement is essential to physical activity, which is necessary to prevent obesity.

?Mobility is crucial for physical independence. Studies suggest that just walking alone can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke

?Consistent movement is vital to maintaining a healthy balance system, which can help prevent costly falls.

?Avoid surgery and prescription drugs. While surgery and prescription drugs can be the best course of treatment for certain diagnoses, there is increasing evidence demonstrating that conservative treatments like physical therapy can be equally effective (and cheaper) for many conditions.

For example:

?Low back pain is routinely over-treated despite evidence that physical therapy is a cost-effective treatment that avoids advanced imaging scans like MRIs, which increase the cost of care and the likelihood for surgery and injections.

?Physical therapy has proven as effective as surgery for meniscal tears, knee osteoarthritis rotator cuff tears, spinal stenosis and degenerative disk disease, among other conditions.

Participate in your recovery

Physical therapists routinely work collaboratively with their patients. Treatment plans can be designed for the patient's individual goals, challenges and needs.

Receiving treatment by a physical therapist is rarely a passive activity, and participating in your own recovery can be empowering. In many cases, patients develop an ongoing relationship with their physical therapist to maintain optimum health and movement abilities across the lifespan.

For more information, contact HCHC?s Rehabilitation Department at 319-385-6102.