4 Reasons Why Physical Therapy is Essential

4 Reasons Why Physical Therapy is Essential

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If physical therapy isn’t a part of your healthcare routine, you’re missing out on taking care of a big part of your health. With health in sharp focus as a result of the pandemic, now may be a good time to look at the team of experts you have in place and see if there are any improvements you could make. You probably have a family doctor, dentist and optometrist. Maybe you have some specialist physicians, a trainer or a massage therapist. To understand why you need a physical therapist, you need to understand what they do.

Physical Therapists Help You Do Things

The American Physical Therapy Association defines physical therapists as “healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat individuals who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives.” So physical therapists help you do things that you have trouble with. That could be going for a hike, playing with your kids or getting through a day of work without pain.

Physical Therapists Reduce Pain

Chronic pain is a huge problem worldwide. A big part of that is low back pain. Statistically, around 80% of people will have low back pain in their lifetimes. Physical therapists are trained to treat pain without surgery or medications. If you have back pain, an arthritic knee, neck pain or an old injury that won’t go away, a physical therapist may be able to help.

Physical Therapists Keep You Healthy

The APTA goes on to say that “physical therapists work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles.” That means that a physical therapist can help you determine your risk for injury, choose the right fitness program and improve the quality of your life by improving your health and ability to move.

Physical Therapists Can Help You Live Longer

It’s well known that the risk of many of the leading causes of death can be reduced by exercise. Some of these conditions would include heart disease, cancer, lung disease, diabetes and stroke. By helping you move better with less pain, finding the right exercise program and helping you to make healthy lifestyle choices, a physical therapist could help you live longer. “As physical therapists, we ensure our patients are completing the correct exercises with proper form to allow for maximum benefits,” says Brett Teveldal, PT at Prairie Rehabilitation.

Physical therapists have a unique set of skills and expertise that can do a lot to improve your health and quality of life. If you don’t have one, consider adding one to your healthcare team. “Strength training throughout a lifetime can help reduce or avoid pain,” says Teveldal. See a physical therapist at Prairie Rehabilitation to jump start your strength training program today.

About Prairie Rehabilitation 

At Prairie Rehabilitation our Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Hand Therapy and Speech Therapy experts are passionate about helping our patients reclaim their way of life and function. It’s about you; you are unique with distinct qualities, abilities, and needs. At Prairie Rehabilitation we embrace the philosophy of “Patient First” care; treating each individual with precise and personalized care. To achieve the best results and to speed your recovery, we are committed to utilizing the most clinically proven and current concepts in rehabilitation. 

A full list of our outpatient clinic locations can be found here. For those who cannot make it to out to one of our clinics, we also offer our Prairie at Home program. More information on this programcan be found here. Telehealth appointments (also known as video visits) are another option to receive the therapy you need from the comfort of your own home. More information on telehealth can be found here.

Brett Teveldal, MSPT received a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy in 1999 from the University of South Dakota. He works four days per week at the Hartford outpatient clinic and one day per week at Tieszen Memorial Home skilled nursing facility in Marion, South Dakota. He works with a diverse caseload and enjoys connecting with all of his patients and assisting them to maximize their abilities.