Aches and pains shouldn’t be a normal part of your everyday life. Unfortunately, familiarity has a way of making even the unnatural natural. When you’ve been injured or diagnosed with an issue that affects your mobility, it can be easy to fall into a pattern of limping and struggling when your reality could be something else entirely. This is where physical therapy comes in. Staffed by professionals who are intimately familiar with physical health, a physical therapy office can provide you the means of reducing your pain, increasing your mobility and improving your quality of life.
Did You Know?
Think you won’t be able to find a physical therapist who can help you? Let’s take a look at some statistics. The Bureau Of Labor Statistics has recently projected that, by the time 2022 arrives, physical therapist employment growth will exceed an impressive 36%. Knee pain is the second most common cause of chronic pain in American adults, following close behind upper and lower back pain. Last, but not least, osteoarthritis affects over 30 million American adults at any given time.
What Causes Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is incredibly frustrating. Many people find they have minor or moderate symptoms. When these show up multiple times per week? This can go from annoying to debilitating before you even know it. Chronic pain can affect your neck, shoulders, upper back, lower back, knee, elbow, ankles or wrist. A common consensus concerning whether or not you have chronic pain is length — if you’ve been dealing with symptoms a few times per week for at least three months, it’s time to see a physical therapist.
How Common Is Back Pain?
Upper and lower back pain affects millions of Americans. Do you work a sedentary position that requires you sit for long periods of time, such as typing on a computer or painting? What about standing for long periods of times or lifting heavy objects? These are common contributors to upper and lower back pain. They’re not the only ones, however! The National Center For Health Statistics has reported over five million sports related injuries, including upper and lower back pain, occur every year.
What Is Osteoarthritis?
Arthritis is a painful condition that causes stiffness and pain in your joints. Osteoarthritis (shortened to OA for brevity’s sake) is the most common form of arthritis around — some doctors call it the ‘wear and tear’ arthritis because of how it creates tiny little tears with very painful consequences. This condition most commonly affects the hips, knees and hands. Although arthritis is regularly associated with the elderly, more young Americans are starting to be affected.
Should I See A Physical Therapist?
Don’t struggle to get through the work week anymore. Trying to walk on a stiff knee or continue typing with sore wrists will only make your condition worst in the long run, potentially causing a disability or requiring surgery to reverse. A physical therapist can properly pinpoint the source of your pain and offer you a variety of methods in recovering, from physical exercises to supplemental equipment like braces. According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (shortened to CDC), hip pain affects 7% of the population. Look into Bellevue physical therapy and give your knees the relief they’ve been aching for!
