Benefits of Advanced Physical Therapy

Advanced physical therapy is the medical practice of treating, healing, and preventing injuries. While this isn’t the sole purpose of physical therapy, it does encompass the majority of care that patients receive. Many patients also engage in therapy to prevent deterioration of muscle and tissue important for basic mobility, such as walking and lifting. Athletes take advantage of sports training that helps increase speed, agility, and endurance.
The field of advanced physical therapy prides itself on providing adequate education so that patients learn and understand how to prevent future injuries by performing exercises at home and understanding how the body works.Geriatric Physical Therapy BenefitsAs bone mass and muscle deteriorate with age, the elderly are at a high risk for falls and bone fractures. Osteoporosis is a leading cause of lost bone mass, especially in women. Treatment to help build bone mass includes strength training, because the increased blood flow to the bones helps strengthen them.
Physical therapists can assist the elderly at home, in assisted living centers, skilled nursing facilities, and at outpatient facilities. Medicare will usually cover physical therapy costs associated with rehabilitation and pain management.One benefit many elderly patients receive from therapy is the ability to regain independent mobility without the need for walkers or canes. Musculoskeletal problems of the spine are one reason many older people need assistance when walking. Not only is the spine deteriorating because of age, but there may be a considerable amount of pain caused by slipped discs or swollen nerves. By helping elderly patients improve posture and strengthen the back and core, therapists improve an older patients balance, strength, and coordination. This leads to a better quality of life in the later years.Prenatal Physical Therapy BenefitsOne area of advanced physical therapy that many people don’t consider is prenatal therapy.
Women are told to exercise while pregnant to prevent weight gain and have an easier labor, but magazines and television programs don’t educate women on the best way to exercise that benefits the entire body. During the last trimester, much more stress and weight is put onto the lower back, and the lower back is expected to support all of this stress and weight. That is why many pregnant women experience pain in the sciatica and have pain when sitting or walking.A prenatal therapist will work with an expectant mother, taking into consideration any restrictions set forth by her OB/GYN, to help her reduce weight gain and pregnancy pain. A physio trainer will work on exercises, both cardio and strength training, so that an expectant mother has an easier pregnancy and delivery.
The major benefit of receiving therapy services while pregnant is that any new aches and pains can be brought up immediately and the therapist can plan and manage the new pains with exercise.Sports Physical Therapy BenefitsThe American Physical Therapy Association offers its members the opportunity to expand their education by taking online and home study courses in sports therapy. Physical therapy centers have trained therapists who focus on working with high school and college athletes.
This aspect of therapy is popular as many younger people need help rehabilitating from sports-related injuries.Therapists work one-on-one with athletes to help them gain agility and strength. Patients can also recover quickly when using advanced physical therapy techniques customized for their specific sport. Thanks to the wide variety of specialties studied in physical therapy, anyone can benefit from a therapy program that takes into consideration their specific ailment.

What Is Drug Addiction Treatment?

For many people drug addiction treatment is the last thing standing between them and a slow, miserable death. This is because the disease of addiction is without question a progressive and fatal one. But like other serious and potentially fatal diseases, addiction can be successfully treated via detoxification, Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome treatment, relapse prevention and denial management. This is accomplished through proven traditional therapies such as individual and group counseling, as well as experiential therapies. Understanding the process of drug addiction treatment can be extremely helpful if you or someone you love is suffering from drug addiction or alcoholism.
Detox is the first step toward recovery. This refers to the natural process that the body undergoes to restore a normal balance by eradicating the substance from the system and regaining more natural central nervous system functions. This unavoidable physiological process can cause some uncomfortable symptoms and side effects, some of which can be dangerous while detoxing from substances like opiates and alcohol. As a result, a person should always detox in a fully equipped medical setting where symptoms can be managed under the expert care of a detox and addictions specialist.
Once a person has fully detoxed from a substance, more substantial treatment can begin. This is most often in the form of residential inpatient treatment or an outpatient treatment program. The former generally consists of an intensive 30 day program where clients live and receive treatment while under 24 hour supervision, while the latter is less intense and is typically utilized for a more transitional approach to drug addiction treatment.
Both residential inpatient treatment centers and outpatient treatment programs should focus on two primary treatment objectives in order to be successful:
1.) Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome Management
This series of symptoms begin immediately after a person has detoxed from a substance, persisting anywhere from 3-24 months. PAWS symptoms may cause drug or alcohol cravings, inability to focus on tasks, inability to organize thoughts, depression, and other problems that can lead a person to relapse in an effort to seek relief. PAWS is the most significant threat to any person’s recovery and is therefore a lifelong concern that must be treated appropriately.
2.) Denial Management
Denial is a major part of addiction and alcoholism, and this doesn’t change just because a person seeks out help. Just like people deny the severity or existence of their drug problem prior to treatment, they might deny any number of things during and after treatment, including doubts that can lead to relapse, denial of impending relapse warning signs, denial of the effects of stress, and even denial about a person’s own ability to stay clean and sober.
PAWS and Denial Management are the foundation of Relapse Prevention and form the backbone of any successful drug addiction treatment plan. Regardless of whether thesetreatment modalities are utilized in an inpatient or outpatient setting, they should be taught as lifelong parts of an overall recovery plan that will continue long after a person has completed active treatment at a rehab. If you need help for addiction or alcoholism, use the links below now for a free consultation. We’ll be glad to confidentially discuss how our inpatient treatment or outpatient treatment programs can help you take back your life and help you feel whole once again. Drug addiction treatment is not easy, but it works. Begin your new life right now.