Physical Therapists’ Prescription – A Message To PT Patients and All

Physical Therapists prescribe exercises to address dysfunctions in an individual’s body. We rehabilitate patients from ailment or injury, as well as, give guidance on what patients should do to prevent a recurrence or new injury altogether by finding muscle imbalances and faulty movement patterns. Exercise can help eliminate or ease complaints of pain, restore normal biomechanical movement, and increase functional ability. A comprehensive exercise routine can help foster all the aforementioned with the method of payment being consistency!

Although MDs commonly provide patients with pharmacological prescriptions, I believe that a patients’ truest prescription for health is exercise! This theory holds true for a majority of cases including those with or without a disease or physical ailment. As a health care provider, orthopedic physical therapist and health fitness specialist, it is my absolute duty to promote the medicinal benefits that a consistent exercise regimen presents. These benefits include decreasing the risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Another important exercise-induced health benefit that directly relates to orthopedics and physical therapy is the preservation of bone mass that comes along with consistent exercise. When bone mass is kept healthy, it negates or delays the potential for osteoarthritic conditions to flourish. Common osteoarthritic complaints in orthopedic physical therapy tend to be back pain, neck pain, knee pain, and shoulder pain. If your bones stay strong and healthy, your risk for joint pain decreases markedly.

The Message: Get active people. Consistent exercise IS required to keep you from spending healthcare dollars in Physical Therapy. Moreover, if you’re already a current PT patient, Consistent exercise WILL be required in order to rehab from whatever pathology you’re dealing with while being a patient in Physical Therapy. You can’t avoid it. Just Do it. Exercise….Is….Medicine.