As people grow older, many experience mobility issues and joint pain. Those with arthritis may be prescribed pain medications from their doctors, as well as drugs that can better increase the lubrication in their joints to ease the chronic aches. Medicine isn’t the only option though, and many seniors choose to partake in physical therapy to help them manage pain and better heal. Learn about physical therapy for seniors with these quick facts:
Physical therapy can improve balance
It is common for seniors to experience balance issues. Inner ear problems and medications’ side effects can lead to dizziness and vertigo. If your senior loved one has balance issues, consider talking with his or her doctor to change a prescription kind or dosage to see if it helps. Light physical therapy can also help them learn how to balance better.
Physical therapy is crucial after surgery
Hip injuries are common among seniors, and may lead to surgery. After an operation, most physicians recommend that seniors go through physical therapy to relearn how to walk with their newly fixed hips. Physical therapy can help people go from the initial healing stage of lying in bed to sitting upright, wheeling around their home in a wheelchair and eventually walking with the help of a walker.
Physical therapy is geared toward slow progress that helps seniors heal while still pushing themselves to learn their new limits. Without the helpful encouragement of physical therapists who know just how to get seniors going, some would never be independently mobile after surgery. If your senior friend or family member is heading in to an operation like hip surgery, be sure to talk with his or her doctor about post-surgical care, including physical therapy. Many senior living communities offer this physical therapy in-house.
Physical therapy is not just movement
If you’ve never been in physical therapy, you likely think it’s just working with a therapist to move more easily. In reality, this is only one facet of physical therapy. Physical therapy services can include manual therapy where the practitioner uses their hands to move the patient’s body in a manner that is relaxing to their muscles. Some individuals in physical therapy will undergo heat or cold therapy to increase circulation or relieve pain, while others are involved in hydrotherapy where they use the water to do exercises and heal muscle aches. Electrical stimulation is another common part of physical therapy that involves using electrical currents to disrupt the message to the brain that the body is in pain.
The goal of physical therapy is not just to get a senior moving. Physical therapy is about easing pain, promoting better blood flow and healing. It can also help increase a person’s confidence that he or she can be independent even after surgery or with chronic health issues. Some people require physical therapy services for several weeks while others go repeatedly for months at a time. Physicians can work with therapists to establish a treatment plan and monitor a person’s progress to make necessary adjustments and improvements.
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