Bridging the gap from injury to wellness

Physical therapy is an ever growing profession, whose clinicians are specialized in evaluating a patient and determining a course of action to restore a person’s prior healthy lifestyle. Physical therapists are evidence based clinicians, who are trained to examine and treat patients with musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders that can deter a patient’s ability to move and function effectively.

Injuries happen to us all, young or old, the fit or the coach potato – it’s as inevitable as death and taxes. However, with physical therapy, recovery from these injuries can be an integral part to regaining your strength and function.

Physical therapy is commonly utilized after surgery. Surgeries are often required to repair tissue or joints that have failed conservative methods or have been damaged through trauma or significant detrition. After surgery, a complete healing time is required, allowing the body to adequately respond to surgical repair. I often tell my patients that once they leave their surgeon’s table, the doctor’s work is done and it’s up to them and physical therapy to get them back to their desired lifestyle.

Often, we see a patient who comes to us after surgery and they expect all the pain to be removed or to immediately hop off the table and return to their old lifestyle. At this critical point, it is important that the patient and physical therapist to work toward rehabbing this freshly repaired tissue back to its optimal condition. Many times a patient knows that a tissue was repaired or a joint replaced, but that’s it. I make it a point to make sure that the patients not only know how and why the surgery was performed, but also what we are going to do to make them better.

A physical therapists’ role following surgery is to progress the patient through a rehabilitative program that respects not only the patients desires, but also the stage and condition of the tissue post operation. The physical therapist has to be trained and well versed in treatments that follow certain protocols and interpret how each patient is responding to their progressions. Watching a patient progress, from not walking or being able to lift their arm to their mouth, to being able to return to running or throwing a ball with their grandchildren, is something that I take great pride in … it’s rewarding on my part of my job and greatly appreciated by the patient.

Physical therapy is also utilized following an injury or trauma that does not require surgery or is a tool to prevent surgery. Many injuries are easily treated with the aid of physical therapy. Common injuries or conditions are the result of underlying dysfunctions such as, tendonitis and bursitis. These conditions are due to muscle imbalances, restrictions in joint mobility or improper movement patterns. A physical therapist determines the underlying cause of these imbalances and focuses on correcting the dysfunction. This allows for improvement with the movement pattern and thereby reduces the patient’s pain. The physical therapist will teach the patient a series of strengthening and stretching exercises that will continue to reduce and control the patient’s pain.

Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Physical therapy is an excellent preventative tool. If we recognize and treat a problem before it occurs, it can save a great deal of time, effort and cost rather than trying to repair the damage that can result later. Pain and injury can easily be prevented by learning proper movement patterns. Physical therapist work routinely with patients experiencing work related injuries due to improper lifting methods and educate the patients on using appropriate body mechanics. Runners and throwers often experience unnecessary pains due to simple mechanical problems.

These can include improper shoe selection and poor arm positioning with throwing. Physical therapists can work on correcting these problems before they present serious issues down the road.

As physical therapists, we strive to work with a patient to develop an individual treatment plan, tailored to specific patient goals and desires. We’re trained to go beyond treating just the pain and find the specific dysfunction(s) that are causing pain and discomfort. A physical therapist’s goal is to identify and eliminate pain and prevent its reoccurrence.

Dale McPhearson, DPT, MTC is the director of physical therapy at Specialists Hospital-Shreveport. He received his doctorate in physical therapy at The University of St. Augustine. McPhearson is the only manual therapy certified clinician in the Shreveport-Bossier City area.