Many people believe physical therapy is only for injuries. They hear is associated with athletes and think it\’s really not for anything else. This isn\’t true and is just one of the many common misconceptions of physical therapy you might run into.
Physical therapy has the ability to improve your balance, strength, range of motion, and more. It comes with many benefits and can be used for many different ailments. Let\’s look at some of the common misconceptions of physical therapy and the truth.
Top 4 Misconceptions about Physical Therapy
1. Insurance Won\’t Cover Physical Therapy
This is a common misconception of physical therapy and one of the first questions most people ask is whether or not their insurance will cover it. It\’s an understandable concern and certainly a good question.
Not every type of insurance is the same and your circumstances will likely differ from someone else. Often, insurance will cover physical therapy for at least a certain amount of time. Even if your insurance doesn\’t cover it, physical therapy may be worth the cost to avoid a larger cost due to physical pain later.
2. Physical Therapy will be Painful
Sometimes, patients believe physical therapy will be painful, but this isn\’t exactly true. A more accurate word to use to describe it might be uncomfortable. Sure, there can be some soreness associated with physical therapy, much like the soreness from a workout, but the pain or discomfort will likely be minimal and only at the beginning of the treatment.
Often, if you do experience more than just discomfort or minimal pain, your physical therapist can adjust your care plan. While some post-op rehab can be a bit painful, physical therapy usually only comes with some discomfort.
3. It Only Takes a Few Sessions to Work
Physical therapy can take many sessions to get to a full recovery and see results. It\’s not a magic pill that is going to heal you in just a few sessions.
While your insurance might only cover six or eight sessions, it can often take longer to heal from the pain you are suffering from. This is especially true with chronic pain.
4. Physical Therapists are Like Personal Trainers
This is simply not true and goes along with thinking physical therapy is only for athletes or injuries. Physical therapists are trained to help you recover from many types of pain through stretching and specific exercises. They are not personal trainers, even though some may also be trained as personal trainers.
Physical therapists have to obtain a doctorate degree and a professional license to work in this field. It\’s far more training and medical expertise compared to a personal trainer.
If you\’re suffering from chronic pain or you\’ve suffered an injury, physical therapy might be the right choice for you. Make sure you speak to a trained medical professional to get the answers to your questions before you make your decision. There are many common misconceptions of physical therapy floating around out there that simply are not true.