Outpatient Care: Physical Therapy
A Preventative Medicine May be the Key to Continuing An Active Lifestyle
More than 4 million people in the US turned 50 in 2008. Over 28 million Baby Boomers are currently over the age of 50. This population is of the “can do” generation. They were the ones that played outside after dinner, did chores and walked to school. Activity is integral in the recreation they seek out as well. Most Boomers spend a fair amount of time playing sports or having a workout routine. Their leisure time expands beyond the sedentary ways brought on by the wave of entertainment technology centering around big screen TVs which captivate their children. The big question is how do Boomers keep up with their aging bodies?
Integration of Physical Therapy with medicine
Until recently, the medical community did not foster a physical therapy element of care. Where pain medication and reduction in activity level were once the prescribed solution, now more physical therapists are engaged to work in conjunction with physicians to expedite and encourage a patient’s maximum recovery from injury or illness. This combination has shown to result in faster and more complete recovery outcomes for patients. This often begins in the home when recovering from an operation or illness, states David Lawrence, internationally renowned physical therapist for AT Home Care which services central Virginia. “Through management tools and exercises, the patient will achieve independence at home and continue outpatient therapy to reintegrate back into the community from there. We like to take it a step further and visit the patient prior to an operation because exercises can help prepare the muscles which will need to work harder once therapy starts. ” Our goal is to get the patient into outpatient therapy care where they will benefit from a fuller range of therapy programs.
Boomers Demand on PTs Surging
Many of AT Home Care’s patients are older and need home care after surgery, but physical therapy is not just for the elderly and is seeing a surge at its outpatient facilities. Boomers are seeing physical therapists in record numbers as alternative and preventative medicine. Ms. Baker, who exercises regularly, recently found herself with a “tight hip” that ached frequently – especially after sitting for lengthy periods of time. She sought out a physical therapist who “worked miracles” after a series of visits which included stretching and exercise to isolate specific muscles. The exercises and deep pressure point massage released the muscle tightness and she soon achieved a greater range of motion in her hip flexor. “It was amazing how simple stretching and targeted exercise, along with posture modification could have such an impact on my activity level. I encourage any age to seek outpatient PT help when faced with muscle pain before the problem gets debilitating.”
There is a good argument that preventative physical therapy will keep people active longer. “There is no question that maintaining proper exercise and stretching routines will be invaluable to the aging population in preventing accidents as well as recovery time,” says Lawrence. “This will translate into a reduction of costly hospital visits and prolonged stays in health care facilities.” Preventative physical therapy can prevent a small annoyance from becoming a serious injury.
