Physical therapy is a traditional treatment methodology aimed at the treatment and curing of certain ailments, meanwhile preventing the chances of reoccurrence of the same at a later point in time. It is used against ailments that affect the joints such as arthritis, vertebrae of the lower and upper back, cerebral palsy, and also cardiopulmonary and neurological conditions. For those who have had a major injury or accident and are in a recuperating phase, continued physical therapy helps in bringing back or regaining a major share of the mobility to the patient’s joints, achieve flexibility, and acquire better balance and coordination as far as his/her overall self is concerned. Apart from this, physical therapy also helps in significantly improving the overall fitness and health of the patient. The only mandatory aspect is that physical therapy sessions be done in the proper way, under the watchful eyes of an expert physiatrist. That brings us to the core of the subject – why hire a physical therapist, who is a professional?
Well, the answer to this question is that physical therapy is a specialized branch of medicine and it requires a fair amount of expertise to treat patients effectively. There are many who think that after a few weeks of physical therapy, they themselves have become masters of the exercises and hence they can do the rest of the process without any more professional help. Not at all! A physical therapist is a professional who has been trained, educated, and groomed to understand the intricacies of physical therapy so that he/she can devise effective rehabilitation programs that best suit the patient’s existing medical condition. Not everyone can do what a physical therapist does. Another aspect that mandates the need for a physiatrist is that every human body is different from each other in a million ways, from its construction to alignment, movement patterns, and habits. It requires a different rehabilitation program altogether when it comes to curing illnesses and such a thing can only be devised by a specialist in the trade.
Further, since physical therapy is a sort of education for the patient as he/she needs to be taught about the dos and don’ts as well as the pluses and minuses of their health condition, it is again safe only in a specialist’s hands. It is important that the patient be directed the right way to do things – at a later stage in the physical therapy session usually he/she can be corrected if there are any flaws in the posturing or practicing. Such a technical finesse can be ensured only by an expert physiatrist.
Finally, it must be understood that physical therapy produces results only if it is done in the proper way. Flawed postures, exercises, and acting like an expert and not paying diligence to physiatrist’s words, these things actually could do more harm to oneself than healing the actual ailments. Hence it is important that you hire an expert physical therapist and follow his/her instructions religiously. After all, it is your health, isn’t it?
