The Importance of Proactive Physical Therapy For Seniors

Mention the words physical therapy to a group of seniors and most will react the same way – with an eyeroll or a frown. It’s an understandable response since most seniors consider physical therapy to be an unpleasant part of their recovery process following an injury or surgery.
While it’s true that physical therapy is most often done for corrective or rehabilitative reasons, physical therapists can and do a play an important role in promoting health, wellness and fitness in older adults. Preventative physical therapy – or prehab as it’s called by some in the medical community – is a powerful tool that can have a profound impact on the quality of life for seniors.
Be Proactive About Your Health
Seniors that embrace preventative physical therapy do so for many smart reasons. As more and more seniors today are participating regularly in rigorous recreational and sports activities, a physical therapist (PT) can identify age-related physical issues before they become more serious problems. PT’s are professionals educated and trained in diagnosing, evaluating and treating risk factors that may predispose seniors to potential injury or inhibit their physical performance.
Seniors don’t have to be athletically inclined to still benefit from a proactive approach to physical therapy. Many older adults just want to attain a level of health and fitness that enables them to safely perform the daily living tasks that are essential to their independence. A PT can do a physical and home environment assessment to identify what’s needed so that a senior can continue to live safely and comfortably at home.
Live Independently Longer
Chronic health problems affect people across all age groups, but seniors are particularly vulnerable to illnesses such as diabetes, stroke, memory loss, arthritis, osteoporosis and other many other conditions. Proactive physical therapy won’t cure these health problems, but it can help seniors better manage their chronic conditions so they can maintain the highest quality of life possible. In addition to symptom management, physical therapists can show seniors how they can reduce their risk of falling through strength, flexibility and balance exercises that allow them to continue to live active, independent lives.
Preventative physical therapy is especially important to older adults because as the body ages, muscles and joints tend to lose strength and stability. Simple tasks such getting out of a bed or chair, walking, standing and going up or down a flight of stairs can become difficult challenges that frighten many seniors, and their concern is real. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 1 in 4 Americans fall each year with many resulting in injury. Preventative physical therapy can reduce these risks of a fall because PT’s know how to personalize therapy plans for seniors that take into account their unique challenges and capabilities.
Make Physical Therapy A Part Of Your Health Plan
When incorporated as part of a senior’s overall health care efforts, preventative physical therapy can help seniors proactively address many of the physical issues of aging. Working in tandem with your medical practitioners, a PT can help a senior get well, stay well and recover faster if and when a health issue arises.
Scheduling a yearly appointment with a PT to identify age-related risks and needs is what smart seniors are doing so that they can continue to live independently, on their terms, doing the things they love to do.