Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ – If you ask anyone the question “do you prioritize your health?” almost everyone will say yes. It’s kind of a non-question really, like “do you value family time?” or “do you want to provide for yourself/your family?” The issue here is not that a person WANTS to be healthy, but HOW they choose to prioritize their health with a physical therapist.
Exercise
Outside of making sure basic health and safety needs are met, the biggest way anyone can prioritize their health is through regular exercise. The good news is we don’t need to have a Crossfit membership or need to run 5 miles a day to get the benefits. Just a handful of hard workouts a week, or consistently doing light workouts can give you all the benefits that exercise has to offer.
This is where a physical therapist comes in. Sometimes our bodies aren’t ready for the exercise they need. After a major trauma such as a fall or car accident, a physical therapist will be one of the first professionals you see. But further on down the list, injuries such as sprains, strains, or overuse injuries can have a massive impact on someone’s willingness or ability to exercise.
The Long-Term Effect Of Pain
For anyone reading this who has an ache or a pain, there are about a thousand different options for you. Everything from established professionals to sketchy pills and miracle cure devices. It’s frustrating to be in pain, but can be even more frustrating to not have a clear answer on what to do about it.
Think of the path an injury leads us down. We don’t go to the gym as much, or we go but don’t push ourselves to the level we previously did. A few months and a few “magic bullets” later we still aren’t getting enjoyment out of the gym. The pain leads us to avoid the gym entirely. You can see where this is going, and it ain’t pretty for long-term health. Depending on when this happens, it can have a massive impact on long-term health and life expectancy. So what is a gym-goer with a sore shoulder to do?
The Choice Is Clear
Clearly I’m biased, but let’s explore the landscape. You may go for a massage to loosen up the muscles, or acupuncture to get your nervous system on the right path. You may get chiropractic to adjust your spine, or you might find a personal trainer who fixes pain with exercise. These are all great interventions and each practitioner can absolutely point to a group of patients that have gotten better.
The issue here is results. How many can say that most get better? Orcan say they selected patients and turned them away if they felt they weren’t the best option? How many also cross over into other lanes? I’m seeing more and more weighs and TRX straps in chiropractic offices. I also overhead a massage therapist coaching people on exercises to “fix the core reason” for their pain.
Essentially, everyone is trying to be a physical therapist, especially in Phoenix and Scottsdale! PTs are the only profession where every single clinician is trained on exercise prescription, dry needling (acupuncture), spinal manipulation, and massage. Because we can do it all, we also have no issue recommending one intervention over another because we won’t lose that business. Ask your local massage therapist how many people they refer to a personal trainer after the first visit. I’m willing to bet it’s rare.
Choose The Expert, Or Wish You Had
Physical therapists are a mainstay on hospital staffs and professional sports team staffs. We have never had to sue the AMA for teaching new physicians our profession is pseudoscience. We are even trusted to order MRIs because of the level of our training.
So when you have an ache or a pain that is limiting your ability to do the single best thing you can for your health, you owe it to yourself to seek out the most expert opinion available. As with anything, you should always ask for references to find the best PT for you. A good physical therapist will provide a high level assessment quickly, and with minimal bias toward treatment technique. Quickly get back to prioritizing your health. If you are in need of a physical therapist in Phoenix and Scottsdale, contact us today!
