Physical Therapy for Restful Nights and Pain Free Days

7 Ways Physical Therapy Can Help
Physical therapy treatments can be applied to any part of the body. The methods employed by a physical therapist will focus on relieving pain and inflammation, obtaining the restful sleep you need, and help you retain mobility.

Physical therapy will help you:

  • Relieve pain
  • Sleep better
  • Increase stability, endurance and balance
  • Improve flexibility and mobility
  • Strengthen the body
  • Improve neurological function
  • Aid in preventing disability

Physical therapy treatments work with the body's own healing abilities to release endorphins, the body's natural pain relieving chemical. It's one of the reasons that physical therapy is so effective. Treatments are equally beneficial for residual pain from a previous injury or surgery.

It's a holistic approach that will be part of a multi-faceted treatment program that may also include nutritional and supplement recommendations. A variety of foods can result in an increased level of inflammation, along with medications and other substances.


Physical Therapy for Restful Nights and Pain Free Days
The use of physical therapy to alleviate pain and obtain restful sleep has a history reaching into antiquity. Hippocrates is believed to have been the first physical therapy practitioner. He developed treatments for gout, arthritic joints, and advocated manual therapy, massage and hydrotherapy treatments - all of which are still used today. The treatments he pioneered were later adopted by early Olympians.

There are more than 150 conditions that cause inflammation and pain to joints and the body's neurological system, along with current and prior injuries that can result in pain long after the initial injury has healed. Conditions run the gamut from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis to migraine headaches and fibromyalgia.

More than 116 million individuals suffer with pain from accidents, injuries and chronic conditions that result in sleep disturbances, lack of mobility, and curtail lifestyles. A physical therapist can assist patients understand the underlying cause of their pain and how it affects their body. Patients will learn new ways of performing everyday tasks for ease and convenience, along with ergonomic and adaptive strategies to lessen stress and pain on the body.


Neck Therapy

Sleep and Pain Relief is Within Your Grasp

One of the most important strategies for relieving your pain is a customized exercise program. Your physical therapist will create a program that factor in your strengths, areas that need improvement, any chronic conditions, and your fitness level.

Physical therapy will help ease pain, allow you to move better, and promotes restorative sleep necessary for the body to repair and rejuvenate itself. It's beneficial for preventing and mitigating the severity of recurrences and relapses. A neck and spinal alignment relieves pressure on joints and the neurological system.

Your physical therapist may incorporate a number of complementary techniques into your treatment. Exercise can include aerobic movements, clinical Pilates and yoga. Manual manipulation is available if your movement is limited or you're unable to participate in a traditional exercise program. The individualized plan will be adjusted to accommodate your progress.

Heat and cryogenic therapies may be utilized, along with ultrasound, electrical stimulation, acupuncture and dry needling. Water-based therapy is particularly beneficial if you have mobility limitations. You'll be buoyed by the water, thereby reducing the effects of weight and gravity on your body by approximately one-third. It's a gentle form of resistance training that can prepare you for more strenuous activities.

Your treatment may include therapeutic massage to ease pain, increase circulation, and maintain movement and flexibility. It stimulates the immune system, aids in detoxifying the body, stimulating the immune system, and relieves stress and inflammation.

Your physical therapy will alleviate pain during the day and promote restful sleep during the night. You don't have to suffer with pain and sleepless nights when relief through physical therapy is so close at hand.

Avoid Children’s Injuries Before They Happen with Physical Therapy

Training With Professionals
Parents and caregivers should ensure that children are under the guidance of a coach or athletic trainer to learn the proper techniques and form needed to be safe in the sport or activity in which they're participating. They should have the appropriate safety gear and know how to use it. It's important that the adults in a child's life set a good example by adhering to the same rules.

Physical therapy can help children avoid injuries in the following ways:

  • Warm up and stretching exercises
  • Prevent overtraining
  • Conditioning
  • Teaching control
  • Improve balance and coordination
  • Build strength and endurance
  • Appropriate safety equipment

Some activities and sports are extremely dangerous and pose a high-risk of injury, prompting experts to recommend that parents not allow their children to participate in them. They can cause more than pulled muscles and broken bones. They can result in neck and back injuries, along with concussions that can have long-lasting effects. Those activities include football, boxing, driving and riding on motorized "toys," and using trampolines.

Overuse and overtraining injuries are common in children and adolescent whose bones are still growing and developing. Children need at least two days off every week from practicing sports and two to three months away from the sport each year. It's essential to maintain proper hydration to avoid fatigue and muscle cramps.


Avoid Children's Injuries Before They Happen with Physical Therapy
As children develop and explore their environment, they're subject to a wide variety of injuries. Some of those wounds and injuries can be serious and even have life-changing effects. Physical therapy offers the means for parents and caregivers to reduce the risk of injuries before they occur.

Injuries are a part of life as children grow, but appropriate preparation can help minimize those injuries and their severity. The adage "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is just as applicable today as it was when the saying was first coined. A screening and evaluation by a skilled physical therapist can identify potential problems before they can result in an injury.

A physical therapy screening will discover any underlying deficits in strength, agility or movement that might prevent a child from fully participating in a great many activities. If a problem is discovered, the physical therapist can provide treatments to remedy and manage the problem in ways that still enables a child to be active.


Physical Therapy for a Lifetime of Activity
Your physical therapist can provide a comprehensive exam and evaluation to detect any gait or bone conditions that might contribute to an injury. If a problem is identified, gait training can be initiated to ensure bones are straight and your child moves in safe and appropriate ways.

Children can develop behaviors such as putting too much weight on the sides of their feet that can be corrected with physical therapy. Your physical therapist can provide a wide variety of exercises to build control and core strength that lessens the potential of a risk from fast stops, starts and turns.

A physical conditioning program developed by your physical therapist will factor in your child's age, ability, strengths and weaknesses, any prior injuries, and fitness level. An exercise program will be individualized to improve endurance, balance and coordination that will also help in his/her other activities in everyday life.

Your child will learn warm-up and stretching exercises to limber up before any activity. Your physical therapist can provide nutritional recommendations for health and even clothing and material options that will keep your youngster cool and keep them from overheating.

They key to reducing the risk of injuries is to ensure your child has no physical problems that will hinder their development, anticipating difficulties, and expert instruction and treatment by a physical therapist specializing in pediatrics. Your physical therapist can help establish a culture of safety for your child that will allow them to enjoy a lifetime of physical activities and an active lifestyle.