Often recommended as part of the treatment plan for those suffering from sports injury, aches and pains, or issues relating to their work or hobbies, physiotherapy uses techniques which exercise and manipulate the muscles to ease tension.
The aim of most physiotherapy is short term gain, restoring use of an athlete or individual’s full range of movement and motion, be it in a knee joint, a wrist, or another part of the body. But one thing which is so often underrated and underdiscussed is the long term benefit of physiotherapy and how a comprehensive plan combining massage and stretches can lead to long term gains.
In this blog, we’re focussing on the impact that physiotherapy in Chelmsford can have – and does have – on clients of all ages and abilities.
1. Increased flexibility
The first benefit of physiotherapy is the way it improves flexibility and coordination – facilitating a more balanced approach to movement as part of your daily routine. When you are more flexible and your muscles have more room for movement, with the joints supporting rather than seizing up during exercise, everyday tasks become easier to complete.
In addition to this, increased flexibility makes exercise and sport more enjoyable, with many clients finding that physical therapy actually improves their cardiovascular fitness as well as their flexibility. This makes fitness and activity easier to work into their daily routine, which in turn helps them to live a more active life.
2. Minimise the risk of future injury
This is a big one, because by keeping the body mobile and well oiled in terms of muscular movement and stretches, you minimise the risk of future injury.
While physical therapy is often prescribed as a reactive treatment method in the face of injury, over time it becomes a preventative measure for future issues – strengthening the muscles and allowing the body to move more freely and seamlessly. The right level of physiotherapy also helps to reduce the pain associated with chronic and underlying conditions so that in the future, pain can be mitigated and managed.
3. Restore mobility
Finally, to the long term benefit which is heralded by most clients but rarely talked about – and that is the simple fact that effective physiotherapy restores the mobility that allows them to return to their everyday lives and routines.
This is not a benefit that you will see listed on medical articles or websites because it is more in tune with the individual clients’ lifestyle; however, it is the most important takeaway for almost everyone we come across as a team of physical therapists.
To cut a long story short, physiotherapy isn’t just about the short term gains but the long term benefits that come from enhanced mobility and more flexible muscle movement. By investing in your body now, the benefits can be and often are endless – and flood into parts of your life you may not have considered.
To find out more about how this could help you, get in touch with your local team of physical therapists.
