If you live in Colorado and experience acute or chronic pain, you should start physical therapy in Fort Collins to help with muscle restoration, pain management, and to strengthen your body. In this article, we cover everything you need to know to begin your physical therapy journey and become a stronger, more revitalized version of yourself!
What is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy involves many specialized treatments tailored to aid muscle and bone recovery after an injury, treating acute and chronic pain, and improving physical function.
Physical therapy does not involve administering medicine, nor does it involve any surgical procedures, making it ideal for patients who wish to avoid surgery or consuming medicinal drugs.
Instead, physical therapy engages in more holistic methods of muscle rehabilitation, such as massages, exercises, and heat treatment.
The Role of Physical Therapists
Physical therapists are medically trained professionals who play an active role in providing patients with physical rehabilitation.
Upon consulting with physical therapists, they will create a treatment plan catered to a patient’s injury and overall concerns. A physical therapist can also assess patients’ symptoms and determine a diagnosis.
To ensure patients are fully onboard with their treatment, physical therapists may also provide patient education.
This enables those undergoing physical therapy to fully understand what their treatment is and how they can engage in specific exercises at home to further aid their recovery.
Conditions Treated by Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can effectively treat various muscular, bone, and joint conditions to ease symptoms such as chronic pain, discomfort, and reduced mobility. By engaging in physical therapy, your pain will reduce and your overall health can significantly improve.
Here are some common conditions that physical therapists often treat:
- Arthritis
- Lymphedema
- Sports injuries
- Neck and spinal pain
- Headaches
- Muscular dystrophy
- Osteoporosis
- Limited range of motion (ROM)
Benefits of Physical Therapy
Regardless of your condition or age, there’s a multitude of wonderful ways that physical therapy can help you. Here are some key benefits provided by physical therapy:
- Helps with managing pain caused from an injury, disability, or chronic conditions
- Can improve mobility and functionality
- Great for strengthening muscles
There are many additional benefits that come from physical therapy. Below, we explore in more detail the fantastic ways that physical therapy can support you…
Individualized Treatment Plans
To effectively reduce pain and improve your condition, a physical therapist will develop a personalized treatment plan with curated rehabilitative exercises and methods. This means your treatment is customized to meet your individual needs and appropriately aid your physical well-being.
Rehabilitation and Recovery
Whether you have recently sustained an injury or been suffering with chronic pain for years, physical therapy can provide rehabilitation and facilitate recovery for patients who are at any stage of healing.
This is because physical therapy engages in several forms of holistic treatments which target muscles and joints, encouraging injured tissues to restore and strengthen. Once you are fully recovered, you can even receive additional treatment to prevent future injuries or pain.
Enhancing Overall Wellness
Experiencing constant pain and being physically restricted can take a toll on your mental and physical health.
As you progress in your physical therapy journey and begin to recover, you will feel more mobile, strong, and fit, which will undoubtedly pave the way for enhanced mental and physical wellness.
Finding the Right Physical Therapist
At Up and Running Physical Therapy, we offer a broad selection of non-surgical holistic proactive physical therapy treatments suited to all kinds of athletes, including rock climbers and runners, and problem areas, such as back pain.
Our friendly team of specialist physical therapists in Fort Collins, Northern Colorado, are medically trained to provide a wide spectrum of physical therapy services, including:
- Functional dry needling
- Performance rehab
- Pelvic health therapy
To find the right physical therapist and treatment for you, get in touch with us today and get one step closer to improving your physical wellness!
What to Expect During Physical Therapy Sessions
When undergoing treatment at Up and Running Physical Therapy, you can expect a welcoming team of industry-leading physical therapists who will guide and support you during every stage of your recovery.
To ensure treatment is effective, we use an exclusive three-step process to help our patients. This ensures we effectively pin-point your physical problems, and help you say farewell to your pain for good! Here’s what our three-step process looks like:
Step One: Your physical therapist will consult with you to identify your issues.
Step Two: Your physical therapist will create a customized treatment plan.
Step Three: Once you are recovered and can exercise without experiencing pain or discomfort, your physical therapist will implement strategies to help you reach peak performance.
Testimonials and Success Stories
Our clinic has helped many people regain their strength, mobility, and confidence through effective physical therapy treatment. We have collected some Up and Running reviews so you can see for yourself just how great our therapies are:
Paul F.
“Had some persistent pain that I wasn’t able to get rid of on my own. AJ came highly recommended by the local running community. He worked hard to make sure I understood the ‘why’ behind the process and helped ensure that the journey was laid out in a straightforward way. I very much appreciated how AJ worked with me to address my goals and make sure I felt supported through the rehab process. I also left feeling like I have the tools to prevent recurrence and be a stronger athlete.”
Chelsea P.
“Highly recommend AJ! I am a long distance/marathon runner and pulled my hamstring and had a run of other injuries (sciatica, meniscus issues, etc.) last year. AJ was a lifesaver! He gave me exercises to heal my injuries and never told me just to rest (unless I really needed to rest, haha!). Today, I’m back building my mileage up for my next marathon cycle without any pain and couldn’t be more grateful for AJ’s help!”
Incorporating Physical Therapy into Daily Life
During your treatment at Up and Running Physical Therapy, your physical therapist will show you ways that you can incorporate physical therapy into your everyday activities. This can be desk exercises, such as seated spinal rotation, or scheduled routines, such as daily stability ball stretches.
This gives you the power to get the most out of your treatment and speed up your recovery through additional at-home therapy.
Future Trends in Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is becoming increasingly popular, particularly for athletes and physically restricted individuals. As physical therapy continues to rise in popularity, more trends continue to emerge, including:
- Virtual physical therapy sessions
- Home-based treatment
- Innovative physical therapy equipment (such as spinal massagers and therapy mats)
