Physical Therapy and Orthopedics

Patients who visit Fox Valley Orthopedics sometimes assume they may only get a recommendation for surgery. Some conditions do indeed require surgery, however, our doctors prefer to offer alternatives to surgery when possible. One such alternative that is used often is physical therapy.

Physical therapy can do a great number of things for patients who come to our orthopedic practice.

Physical therapy to help with pain or injury

A good physical therapist can work with you to assess your injury and work with your doctor to create a plan for recovery. If you come in with an injury or pain that does not need surgery a physical therapist can help to increase your mobility and strength through a variety of stretches, exercises, and massage. Often icing and electric stimulation therapy or “stim” is also utilized to help reduce pain and swelling. For many patients, physical therapy alone can get them back to normal.

Physical therapy to help prevent or prolong the need for surgery

Physical therapists assess the body as a whole. If you are working to avoid surgery they can be a key player in helping you reach this goal. Poor body mechanics or weak muscles can sometimes be the reason for injury or pain. For example, sometimes shoulder pain may actually be caused by poor spinal posture or knee pain can sometimes be caused by misaligned hips. Working with a therapist can help you identify your problem and work with you to correct it. Therapy may alleviate your pain in the present, but also can set you up to help prevent future injury.

Physical therapy to support surgery

Finally, if surgery is indeed what is necessary then physical therapy plays an important role in the path to recovery. Before surgery a physical therapist can work with you to strengthen the muscles surrounding your injury. By strengthening the surrounding muscles experience has shown that your body will return to function faster than if these muscles had not been prepared ahead of time. After surgery, a physical therapist plays a pivotal role in improving your range of motion using stretches, massage, and other various techniques. Working with a therapist will also help increase muscle strength in the injured and surrounding areas which will shorten recovery time and will help stabilize the area to prevent further injury.

The team at Fox Valley Orthopedics work hand in hand with physical therapists to offer you non-surgical options for your pain or injury. Get assessed by our team today and learn if physical therapy is the best option for you by calling (630) 584-1400.