Why Are More People Scheduling Annual Check-Ups with a Physical Therapist?

Why scheduling an annual check-up with a Physical Therapist first can lower health-care costs.

When asked in a recent survey how a health and fitness service would benefit your life, nearly half of the respondents said that it would help them feel better and be able to enjoy things more. Almost one quarter of the participants said it would help them to increase their energy and self esteem and live a longer life.

The average person would assume that these statistics are in reference to a health and fitness survey for someone who is thinking about starting a gym. Most would be surprised to find that this information relates to what a state-of-the-art physical therapy practice can do to maintain preventative care for people who want to achieve certain health, wellness, and fitness goals.

Lately there has been increased awareness of the strides that have been made in the field of physical therapy to help people achieve better overall health and enjoy a higher quality of life. It is no longer just about injuries thanks to recent discoveries that have extended the benefits of physical therapy to more than just injured or disabled individuals.
So exactly why is physical therapy about more than just injuries and disabilities?

Preventative Care

Are you aware that more people are scheduling an annual check-up with their physical therapist in addition to their regular physician? It’s true and in some states such as Massachusetts a referral is not required to see a physical therapist. Why?

Because of the changing role of physical therapists, they are able to provide preventative care for many individuals through a personalized program instead of just the injured or disabled. An annual visit to a physical therapist involves a detailed evaluation for physical strength, mobility, cardiopulmonary health, flexibility, and overall health and fitness level.

This is a detailed evaluation conducted by your physical therapist to measure your health status for your age group as well as your entire body so a personalized plan can be designed to meet your specific health needs. This leads to ongoing preventative care that helps to troubleshoot health issues and prevent them from requiring serious medical treatment. For example, if the physical therapist discovers cardiopulmonary issues (pertaining to the heart or lungs) they can design a plan to help you prevent heart disease down the road--a condition that is frequently undetected until something serious happens.

Health Restoration and Guidance

Regardless if you are injured or you are having difficulty losing weight, a physical therapist can conduct detailed testing to create a plan designed specifically for your needs instead of a “one size fits all” approach. With this type of approach you stand a better chance of restoring your health than using a generic plan that perhaps you found on the Internet or in a magazine.

Additionally, a physical therapist will be there to guide you through the plan, motivate you, and make adjustments where necessary. An elite physical therapy practice will provide a program that progresses in increments to help you gradually set higher fitness goals and prevent future pain and injuries.

Low-Cost Health Care

A regular visit to your physical therapist for preventative care can significantly reduce health care costs for the future. An accomplished physical therapist will monitor your health status year round while helping you improve your health with a holistic approach. This heads off health issues before they are allowed to get worse and spares you the expense and pain of having major surgery or spending a lot of money on prescription drugs. Additionally, your chances are better of increasing longevity and being able to enjoy a long and healthy life.

When you consider physical therapy from the angle of preventative care it all makes sense and it is a very worthwhile investment.