Physical Therapy As a Non-Invasive Alternative

Physical therapy is a non-invasive form of healing that was first practiced in the United States starting in the 1800s. Originally it was a practice revolving around the poliomyelitis epidemic, but it evolved and was soon became regular activity for soldiers during wars. It was a safe and practical alternative during a time when the primary modes of treatment for almost all physical altercations were immobilization, splinting, mildly unsanitary surgery, and bed rest. Since then, PT has become a regular practice for millions of people. There are many benefits to first trying out physical therapy before moving on to invasive medical treatments, such as cortisone shots or surgery. Physical therapy is covered by most insurances, including Medicare, and many exercises can be performed in an outpatient facility or from the comfort of your own home—making PT not only affordable, but convenient too! While there can be side-effects associated with physical therapy treatment, such as swelling, pain, and potential for stressful to lack-of or slowed outcome, PT has proven to be a safer, non-invasive alternative to other common medical practices.

Both surgery and cortisone shots are not only expensive but have proven to have statistically less effective outcomes or longer lasting negative effects if done incorrectly. Cortisone shots have been proven to be helpful for relieving inflammation and pain in specific areas of the body. However, the effects of the cortisone shots are short term and the potential side effects increase with larger doses and repeated use. Some of the side effects can include cartilage damage, death of a nearby bone, joint infection, nerve damage, and so many more issues that could be avoided with a non-invasive treatment.

While in many cases, surgery is considered necessary, and the procedures often effective, the additional pain and increased stress associated with surgery prolongs the healing process. Additionally, most surgeries will require some physical therapy as part of the recovery process. If you take the steps to go through surgery instead of first attempting a muscle-based recovery you would have to face anesthesia recovery, risk of infection, taking time off from work, and you would most likely end up doing physical therapy while recovering anyways. Surgery is known to cause strain to your physical and mental health leading up to the procedure. Luckily, those issues can all be avoided with the help of muscle recovery from physical therapy. Even though not every injury or ache can be cured by physical therapy, there are many physical ailments that don’t require cortisone shots or surgery as a remedy. With physical therapy you can start by doing small exercises revolving around the exasperated body part, slowly working toward recovery will strengthen the muscle around the ailment and be more helpful in the long run. Consider trying physical therapy before you jump to the invasive alternatives.