Physical Therapy Benefits
National Physical Therapy Month is celebrated during the month of October.
People often turn to medication and surgery when they experience a fall or an injury—especially seniors—but there is another way to help manage the pain and that is: physical therapy.
According to Merriam-Webster, physical therapy is therapy for the preservation, enhancement, or restoration of movement and physical function impaired or threatened by disease, injury, or disability.
Physical therapy uses therapeutic exercise, massaging, electrotherapy, patient education and training to manage pain and/or injuries.
The American Physical Therapy Association spends this month continuing to raise awareness of physical therapy as a safe and effective alternative to prescribed medications. The association continues to spread the word of the benefits of this type of therapy for people of all ages.
At Catholic Eldercare, we offer senior outpatient therapy services. The Outpatient Therapy Department at Catholic Eldercare provides Physical, Occupational and Speech therapies Monday through Friday. We focus on functional needs and overall wellness.
The physical therapy for seniors offered focuses on range of motion (ROM), strength, transfer training, balance, gait and pain issues related to lower extremities (legs) and back.
Find out 10 benefits for seniors who participate in physical therapy (which is typically also some type of physical activity) below:
- Reduce the risk of falling and injuries from falling
- Improvement of balance and stamina which results in better mobility
- Reduce the pain of arthritis
- Decrease of muscle and/or joint pain
- Mental health benefits through staying physically active
- Help alleviate pain from cancer
- Manage osteoporosis by improving stability which reduces the chances of bone fractures
- Independency: being able to walk/move on your own
- Less risk of developing high blood pressure, blood clots and heart disease
- Improve the recovery process from injuries like a broken hip
If you or a loved one feels they could benefit from our Senior Outpatient Therapy Department, contact us today!