If you have degenerative health problems, such as arthritis, or are recovering from a musculoskeletal injury or surgery, you can benefit from a physical therapy program, which can help you get moving, heal better, experience less pain, and improve your overall health.
Let’s talk about how PT services can help you achieve these goals and where you can go for outstanding physical therapy in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
Physical Therapy is Highly Individualized
It starts with a detailed and precise functional capacity evaluation (FCE) in which your physical therapist assesses your:
- Range of motion and flexibility
- Muscular strength
- Cardiovascular endurance
- Balance
- Coordination
- Level of pain
Your therapist will fine-tune your evaluation according to your age, diagnosis, and other factors. For instance, if you are a warehouse worker, how well can you lift, carry, pull, kneel, squat, and more?
Then, you will receive a physical therapy diagnosis and treatment plan, including therapies and exercises to be performed in the clinic and at home. Therapists adjust plans according to measurable responses and to patients’ verbal reports. As such, communication between the doctor, therapist, and patient is highly valuable to recovery and rehabilitation.
Physical Therapy Prevents Injury and More Invasive Treatments
Patient education forms a large part of physical therapy. People learn how to prevent accidents, such as falls, at home and work. If you’re an athlete, you’ll understand how best to train and what movements to avoid.
When patients need assistive devices, such as wheeled walkers or splints, they receive complete training on how to use them. Wound care for diabetics or post-surgical patients is part of physical therapy as well.
Finally, physical therapy prevents or postpones, more invasive procedures, such as spinal surgery or total joint replacement. It can even forestall or eliminate the possibility of disability for the person with advanced arthritis or a neuromuscular disorder, such as multiple sclerosis.
Physical Therapy Helps a Wide Array of Patients
Young, old, and everyone in between may benefit from the many modalities of physical therapy. In fact, PT concentrations include:
- Geriatrics, including balance (vestibular) training and help with dementia
- Orthopedics, including treatment for tendonitis, fractures, and degenerative problems, such as osteoarthritis
- Women’s health, to improve pelvic floor musculature
- Pulmonary, to deal with issues such as asthma and COPD
- Cardiovascular, including post-MI and postoperative recovery
- Wound care for diabetic and traumatic injury patients
- Neurology for patients with Parkinson’s disease, MS, traumatic brain injury, and stroke
Exceptional Physical Therapy Services in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia
At Watauga Orthopaedics, we deliver top-notch physical therapy. With eighteen physical therapists and assistants and their team focused on the particular needs of their patients, you are assured of long-term health benefits.
To schedule an appointment to evaluate your orthopedic injury or condition, call us today at (423) 282-9011, fill out our online patient scheduler, or request an appointment with your provider of choice. We look forward to serving you!
