A physical therapist is a highly qualified healthcare professional responsible for treating movement disorders due to illness, disability, or injury. Physiotherapists help their patients through personalized treatment plans they create according to their age and treatment needs. These plans include different exercises and physical workouts that help patients regain strength and overcome their weaknesses. Many times people who have never visited a physical therapist before often associate certain myths with the profession.
According to one of the therapists working in the physical therapy Dallas clinic, misconceptions usually prevent many desirous people from visiting a physiotherapy clinic, which delays the painless and healthy wellbeing. We have created this post to clear your doubts about this highly effective treatment approach that has helped hundreds of physically disabled and elderly patients to improve their quality of life. So let’s begin.
1. All Physiotherapists Stand Equal
Physical therapists usually graduate with their foundation degrees but then step into various health and social care specialisms. Therefore while seeking an appropriate physical therapist, you should properly research and filter certain options according to your priorities. You can consider the back pain specialist, cardiovascular or neurological specialists also well versed with the mechanism of your body to treat you according to your diagnosis. Whichever situation you can relate to, all the physical therapists will work towards managing pain and preventing disease. You can even ask for recommendations from people suffering from the same conditions as yours from different social media platforms.
2. Physical Therapists are Consulted after Surgeries or Injuries Only
Usually, people are suggested to go for physical therapy when they go through a major surgery due to some injury or chronic conditions. Sure, physical therapy offers much expertise in this area. But there are several other reasons you can consult a physiotherapist. You can reach out to a PT for achieving a healthier lifestyle. For example, individual care plans for diabetic or cardiac patients, chronic headaches, back pains, joint pain before they turn into severe disabilities. Physiotherapists are also reached out for strengthening certain sports abilities and arthritis. Therefore, physical therapy incorporates a broad area of expertise.
3. Any Medical Practitioner is Allowed to Do Physical Therapy
To be a physical therapist, one must get a postgraduate doctorate to receive a license to treat patients.
Even after that, they work hard to get ample practical knowledge and experience while practicing. The training provided by your gym instructor or personal trainers is not physical therapy as various significant conditions are out of their competence.
4. I Should Visit A Physical Therapist Only if it is Recommended by a Physician
Our previous generation actually had an approach of consulting a general physician first and waited for them to refer to a specialist according to our needs. But in this era of advanced awareness and innumerable expenses, we need to reinstate our approach to save time and money. Whenever you are experiencing any muscle or joint pain, you can directly approach a physiotherapist without any referral.
5. Physical Therapists are Instant Pain Relievers
Physiotherapists usually prefer patients’ involvement in their own care. They are not supposed to magically vanish your pain, but the patient and the therapist work together towards a healthy lifestyle through guidance, awareness and to provide you with some treatment tools. Your recovery time period is totally dependent on your own input and enthusiasm towards a pain-free, active life.
6. Surgery is the Only Saviour
Physical therapy is considered the best option when you don’t want to go for surgery or long-term medication.
It actually focuses on strengthening nerve or muscle tissues, and therefore, provides a feasible alternative to surgery in many conditions like rotator cuff tear, degenerative disc disease, meniscal tears, and some conditions of knee osteoarthritis. In some cases, the two approaches can also be combined. If surgery is inevitable, physiotherapy is pursued at the same time for a speedy recovery.
7. Physical Therapists will Give You Impossible Tasks
Your physical therapist will basically focus on modifying the activities that are harmful to your healthy lifestyle but will not completely eradicate those from your life. Don’t hesitate just because you can’t give up on your habits and addictions. You can work with your therapist to gradually reduce the number of unhealthy activities and eventually lead towards a healthy lifestyle. There are possibilities that your favorite hobbies can be merged into your treatment plan most likely.
Sometimes it is also believed that physiotherapy is totally exercise-based and people are reluctant to work out, therefore they avoid seeing a physical therapist but physiotherapy is based on a combination of physical workout and manual therapy as well as patients’ education regarding general life movements like how to walk, bend and even sleep.
8. I Can Do It By Myself
Physiotherapists involve patients in their own recovery and suggest various practices and techniques to keep tracking your progress even when you are on your own, But that does not mean that you don’t need expert advice. A professional therapist works on customized plans according to your needs and will keep evaluating your developments through their expertise and experience.
9. It’s Expensive
Usually, people become skeptical about physiotherapy being expensive as mostly they are charged according to sessions. Also, insurance companies give an exception to such treatments. In contrast to this misconception, it is quite cost-effective as there is no need for imaging scans, long-term medication and in some circumstances even prevents you from surgeries. It can also be proved beneficial when some conditions can be discovered by physiotherapy before they create any permanent disability.
10. Sessions Completed… It’s Done!
After putting so much effort into pain-free mobility and a well-functioned body, you have to make sure not to ruin it when your sessions are over. Your therapist will design you a complete customized plan with the necessary tools and techniques to continue with. Ensuring to practice that lifestyle will prevent the recurrence of pain and worsening of ailment. When your PT has performed its part, now the ball is in your court.