What’s Involved in Physical Therapy?

Various orthopedic conditions and injuries, which often happen due to falls or during sports, benefit from physical therapy throughout the recovery. Physical therapy can also help you recover after surgery or avoid surgery altogether. There are countless benefits of physical therapy, and its importance in orthopedic medicine is undeniable. 

Still, many people don’t know what to expect before they engage in physical therapy. Our physical therapists at Orthopaedic Surgical Consultants in Merrillville, Indiana, also serving the Northwest Indiana area, including Munster, Crown Point, St. John, and Dyer, collaborate with your providers to give you well-rounded care as you recover. But before that happens, we’ll give you a run-down of what to expect from physical therapy.

Setting your goals

Effective physical therapy begins with distinct and achievable goals. These include both long-term and short-term goals.

During your initial visit, our team examines you and performs simple tests to understand your baseline level of function with the injury or condition. We check parameters like your movement, flexibility, balance, and muscle and joint function. 

After confirming a clinical diagnosis and performing tests, our team gives you a prognosis and what you can expect as the outcome of physical therapy. We also give you a timeframe for your recovery. 

What to expect from appointments

Once you’ve set your goals, physical therapy begins. Your appointments aren’t all the same, and over time, you might utilize multiple physical therapy modalities as your condition improves. 

Physical manipulation, also called joint manipulation, is perhaps the most familiar part of orthopedic physical therapy. Using our hands, our providers make adjustments to your spine or joints affected by your injury or condition.

Similarly, our team teaches you controlled movements designed to improve your condition. Any exercises and movements you perform in physical therapy help you work toward goals like improving your:

• Range of motion
• Strength
• Balance
• Cardiovascular performance

Additionally, when you increase your function through physical therapy exercises, your pain should improve as well. 

More than just movements

Physical therapy is diverse. Our team has many resources to make your time in physical therapy beneficial. If you’re at risk of further injuries, we can implement balance and vestibular programs into your treatment to help you prevent falls.

Our experts collaborate on your care plan, which may not be limited to physical therapy alone. Your injury or condition might heal more effectively with joint injections from our injection clinic or other treatments and practices that reduce inflammation and accelerate healing. 

For more case-specific information on what to expect from your time in physical therapy, contact our office in Merrillville, Indiana, for an appointment with a phone call or a click today.