• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Virtual Clinic
  • Patient Portal
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Surgery Center
  • Self-Pay Pricing
Watauga Orthopaedics
Watauga Orthopaedics
  • Phone: (423) 282-9011
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Meet the Team
    • Meet Our Doctors
      • Alan Aiken, DO
      • Marc Aiken, MD
      • Jonathan D. Bryant, DO
      • D. Christopher Carver, MD
      • Robert J. DeTroye, MD
      • Parker P. Duncan, MD
      • Richard W. Duncan, MD
      • Tyler M. Duncan, DO
      • Jason A. Fogleman, MD
      • Jeffrey J. France, MD
      • Joseph R. Hurst, DO
      • Thomas W. Gill, Jr., MD
      • Timothy D. Jenkins, MD
      • Kent J. Lord, MD
      • Scott R. MacDonald, DO
      • Mark T. McQuain, MD
      • Eric D. Parks, MD
      • Dustin M. Price, MD
      • Gregory L. Stewart, MD
      • J. Michael Wells, MD
    • Meet Our Mid-Level Providers
    • Meet Our Therapists
  • Specialties
    • Spine/Neck/Back
    • Shoulder & Elbow
    • Hand & Wrist
    • Hip & Knee
    • Foot & Ankle
  • Treatments & Services
    • General Orthopaedics
    • Orthopedic Surgery
    • Sports Medicine
    • Trauma & Fractures
    • Joint Replacement
    • Walk-In Clinic
    • Imaging
    • Physical Therapy
    • DME/Orthotics
    • Work-Related Injuries
    • Non-Surgical Treatments
    • Pediatric Orthopedics
    • Robotic Surgery
  • In The Community
  • Locations
    • Johnson City
    • Kingsport
    • Bristol
    • Center for Advanced Bone and Joint Surgery
  • Patient Resources
  • Contact Us

Is Physical Therapy Necessary After an Injury?

July 27, 2018

Is Physical Therapy Necessary After an Injury

Any reputable doctor will look for conservative rehabilitation methods as the first approach to treating an injury when possible. One of the most commonly prescribed rehabilitation techniques is physical therapy (PT) – touted by physicians for its myriad benefits.

Millions of patients are referred to physical therapists every year, but the patients oftentimes don’t follow through – leaving countless hours of beneficial PT on the table. However, this patient-specific education on proper body mechanics and movement can not only help heal your injury, but it may also help prevent future injury.

How Can Physical Therapy Help Me?

Physical therapy allows your doctor to assess your overall abilities, including how well you can move, reach, grasp, or climb. Also, your heartbeat and heart rhythm may be analyzed while active and while lying down, and your posture and balance will be evaluated.

Based on your issues following an injury, they’ll personalize a treatment plan that caters to your specific needs to help you get back to feeling and moving normally again – back to how you were before the injury. In essence, your physical therapists will identify any deficiencies you may have that can be improved, so you can move as fully and as pain-free as possible.

Who Should Get Physical Therapy?

Candidates for physical therapy include people who have experienced:

·      Sports injuries

·      Accident injuries

·      Surgery

·      Pain

·      Tightness in the arms or legs

·      Problems with balance

·      Problems walking

·      Problems moving the hands or fingers

Basics of Physical Therapy After an Injury

The R.I.C.E. method of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation have its benefits in recovery, but oyou have to also get moving. Your physical therapist will show you how to do a variety of strengthening and stretching exercises to help your muscles thrive again. Practiced consistently, these exercises will help you increase strength and endurance, and they will help maintain or improve your range of motion.

Many PT experts are placing a strong focus on the “core” and activities such as Pilates, which are capable of helping to build a stable foundation for the entire body. This type of exercise is one of the best ways to help prevent acute or overuse injuries.

Pain is a sensation that is all too real for those who suffer from chronic or acute injuries. Thankfully, physical therapists offer a variety of methods to help reduce pain without relying on medications. Ice and heat therapy are important for stimulating blood flow and decreasing inflammation in the body. Today, there are also many methods of relieving inflammation, stiffness, or soreness. 

Another area that PT can address is the mind-body connection of the sensation of pain. Electrical stimulation therapies, such as neuromuscular electrical stimulation, can be effective for helping to block the nerve signals that transmit the sensation of pain between the various areas of the body to the brain.

Ultrasound is one frequently used mode of treatment that offers deep heating of the soft tissues, helping to improve circulation and acting as a catalyst for the body’s natural healing process after an injury. In essence, it increases the malleability of tight muscles and tendons to help treat and cure ailments such as “frozen shoulder.”

After an injury, it’s not enough to simply get back “on the horse” and try to heal your injuries yourself. Physical therapists will point out bad habits that could have long-term ramifications to your health, and they will help you replace them with good habits that will help you enjoy living.

Your physical therapist will help ensure you are utilizing proper form and gait. Gait training is a type of PT that can correct how you stand and walk through the use of special exercises. It’s especially valuable for those who have spinal cord injuries, joint replacements, broken legs, strokes, or musculoskeletal disorders.

Who Can Help Me Get Better After an Injury? 

Whether you’ve sustained an injury due to sports or from an accident, the benefits of physical therapy are boundless. Physical therapists can help get you back on the path to health following an injury, surgery, or something that’s causing you physical pain.

The team at Watauga Orthopaedics – which consists of physical therapists, occupational therapists, certified hand therapists, and athletic trainers – will work with you and your physician to develop your customized and multidisciplinary healing plan.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call (423) 282-9011. We look forward to hearing from you today.

Filed Under: Physical Therapy Tagged With: orthopedic injury, orthopedic surgery, physical therapy, Recovery

Primary Sidebar

July 2018
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Jun   Aug »

Categories

  • Arthritis
  • Back Pain
  • Bone Health
  • Broken Bone
  • Facet Block
  • Fracture
  • General
  • General Orthopedics
  • Hand Dislocations
  • Hand Therapist
  • Herniated Discs
  • Hip
  • Hip Fractures
  • Hip Pain
  • Knee Pain
  • Lumbar Pain
  • Meniscal Tear
  • Neck Pain
  • Nerve Damage
  • Orthopedic Doctor
  • Orthopedic Injury
  • Orthopedic Surgeon
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Orthopedic Urgent Care
  • Orthopedics
  • Orthopedist
  • Pediatric Orthopedics
  • Physical Therapy
  • Shoulder & Elbow
  • Sports Medicine
  • Tendonitis
  • Work Injuries
  • Wrist Pain

Tags

Arthritis back pain bones Chronic Pain Fractures Hip Fractures joint pain Low Back Pain lumbar pain Musculoskeletal Injuries orthopedic orthopedic care orthopedic care near me Orthopedic Clinic Johnson City orthopedic clinic Johnson City TN orthopedic clinic near me Orthopedic Doctor Orthopedic doctor Bristol TN Orthopedic doctor near me Orthopedic Injuries orthopedic physical therapy Orthopedics Orthopedic Surgeon Orthopedic Surgeon Johnson City TN Orthopedic Surgeon near me Orthopedic Surgeons Kingsport TN Orthopedic Surgeons near me orthopedic surgery orthopedist pain Pediatric Orthopedics Pediatric Orthopedist Physical therapist near me Physical therapists near me physical therapy Physical Therapy Bristol TN Physical Therapy Johnson City physical therapy Johnson City TN Physical Therapy Kingsport Physical Therapy Kingsport TN Physical therapy near me Physical Therapy Services physical therapy services Bristol TN physical therapy services near me Watauga Orthopaedics

Footer

woman checking her laptop with smile

BLOG

Get the latest news and information about research and advancements in orthopedic sports medicine, as well updates about our practice, with our exclusive blog.

Learn More

Patient Stories

As a well-established and respected part of the northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia communities, Watauga Orthopaedics often receives glowing reviews from our patients for the exceptional personalized service we provide. Here are just a few of our favorite testimonials:

View All
Interior Patient Stories

Patient Reviews

Want to know what others had to say about their experience with us? Visit your Watauga Orthopaedics provider profile to read the reviews.

Read Our Reviews

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Meet the Team
  • Specialties
  • Treatments & Services
  • In The Community
  • Patient Education
  • Blog
  • Patient Portal
  • Web Portal
  • Locations
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Non-Discrimination Policy
  • Employee Email Login
  • Accessibility Statement
  • HIPAA Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

JOHNSON CITY ORTHOPAEDICS OFFICE
2410 Susannah Street | Johnson City, TN 37601
Physical Therapy Office: 2412 Susannah Street | Johnson City, TN 37601
Phone: (423) 282-9011
Fax: (423) 282-0035
Appointments: M-F: 8 am – 5 pm
Walk-In Clinic:
M-F, 8 am – 8 pm
Sat: 8 am – 5 pm | Sun: 1 pm – 5 pm
Virtual Clinic:
M-F: 8 pm – 10 pm | Sat-Sun: 5 pm – 10 pm

KINGSPORT ORTHOPAEDICS OFFICE
875 Larry Neil Way | Kingsport, TN 37660
Phone: (423) 282-9011
Fax: (423) 282-0035
Appointments: M-F, 8 am – 5 pm
Walk-In Clinic: M-F, 8 am – 8 pm
Virtual Clinic:
M-F: 8 pm – 10 pm | Sat-Sun: 5 pm – 10 pm

BRISTOL ORTHOPAEDICS OFFICE 
340 Steeles Road | Bristol, TN 37620
Phone: (423) 282-9011
Fax: (423) 282-0035
Appointments: M-F, 8 am – 5 pm
Walk-In Clinic: M-F, 8 am – 8 pm
Virtual Clinic:
M-F: 8 pm – 10 pm | Sat-Sun: 5 pm – 10 pm

Copyright © · Watauga Orthopaedics · All Rights Reserved
iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

At Watauga Orthopaedics, our board-certified orthopedic surgeons are experts in treating injuries and conditions of the Spine/Neck/Back, Foot & Ankle, Hand & Wrist, Hip & Knee, Joint Replacement, Pediatric Orthopaedics, Shoulder & Elbow, Sports Medicine, Trauma & Fractures, and Work-Related Injuries. We offer multiple treatments and services in Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol, TN.