Some situations where people need physiotherapy are obvious. A doctor will refer you after treatment, or you will book a therapist yourself after feeling lots of pain.
Other situations are less obvious. Many people don’t realise that the everyday aches and pains they experience are actually grounds for calling a physiotherapist. Thousands of Australians walk around each day with pain that a physiotherapist could fix, and they don’t know it.
You don’t have to be one of those people living with needless pain and discomfort. Here are some common signs that show you need physiotherapy.
You’re Taking Regular Painkillers
Occasional aches and pains are common, especially as we get older. Chronic, never-ending pain is not normal.
If you’re waking up every day in pain and relying on painkillers to get through the day, that is not a healthy way to live. Working with NDIS physio services is an alternative way of addressing your pain that doesn’t involve overrelying on medication. Taking too many painkillers, even non-prescription medication, has serious long-term consequences.
Working with a physiotherapist can address the root causes of your chronic pain, rather than masking it with painkillers. Physiotherapists identify and treat problems that are causing your pain, such as muscle strains or mechanical dysfunction. They strengthen the muscles around your pain points, which, over time, works to reduce pain.
You Went a Little Too Hard at the Gym
Physiotherapists help speed up the recovery from sports injuries. Most people think that sports physiotherapists are just for professional athletes, but anyone who performs a lot of physical activity can benefit from a visit to a physiotherapist.
If you’re nursing an injury after going too hard at the gym or during your regular running practice, a visit to a physiotherapist can help you speed up your recovery. Going back to your normal exercise routine without visiting a physiotherapist first can exacerbate your injury and cause you chronic pain.
Physiotherapists set you up for success in your future exercise practice. While you’re in treatment, a physiotherapist can help you address problems in your form that are making you injury-prone and develop a plan to prevent future aches and pains.
You’re Having Trouble with Balance
A sense of balance feels inherent to all adults until all of a sudden, you begin to lose balance and feel less stable on your feet.
Balance problems are common as people get older. They can also occur after certain health problems, such as ear infections or strokes. Struggling with balance may seem silly and childlike, but the consequences are very real. More frequent falls can be devastating, especially for older patients.
The good news is that even if you lose your sense of balance, it is possible to get it back. A trained physiotherapist can lead you through balance exercises safely, creating a plan that prioritises your well-being and helps you regain crucial skills.
You Can’t Move the Way You Used To
Reduced mobility is another sign that you should visit a physiotherapist. Some struggles with mobility can happen after an injury, such as a broken arm, or simply with getting older. You notice that you can’t experience the full range of motion on a limb the way that you used to, or that you can’t move without pain.
Just because this problem is common doesn’t mean that you have to accept it. Working with a trained physiotherapist can help you regain pain-free mobility. Even if you can’t regain the same mobility you had as a flexible young person or before a severe injury, physiotherapy can still increase your range of motion to a comfortable amount.
Go to a physiotherapist after an injury such as a broken arm or dislocated joint to work on your mobility as soon as you are cleared for rehabilitation by a doctor. The sooner you work on your mobility, the less permanent damage there will be. If you just feel stiffer than usual, without an injury, you can still see the benefits of physiotherapy.
How to Know When You Need Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is something that is for almost everyone at some point in their lives. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or dealing with chronic pain, a young athlete or an elderly person looking to regain a sense of balance, physiotherapy can help.
If you’re realising just how much of your life has been taken up by pain and mobility issues, a physiotherapist can help you reclaim your life. Physiotherapists can help you reduce pain, improve your balance, and regain a fuller range of motion in terms of your mobility.
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