How Physical Therapy Can Improve Your Strength and Help You Age Well

Physical therapy is a remarkably beneficial component in treating musculoskeletal injuries, orthopedic conditions, and even various diseases involving the lungs and other organs. Yet, you might not realize the full potential of the benefits that physical therapy can have for you especially as you age. It could mean the difference between dependence and independent living well into your latest years. 

Here at Crom Rehabilitation in Houston and Pearland, Texas, physical therapists Roy Rivera, Jr, DPT, PhD, and Jordan Boyd, DPT, help you work toward your personal goals with physical therapy. They can restore your strength, improve function, and keep you mobile for years to come. 

Here’s how physical therapy can improve your strength and ease the transition into older age:

Physical therapy isn’t just for the injured

While there’s no denying that physical therapy helps you recover from injuries, like sprains, strains, and dislocations, it’s a misconception that physical therapy is only beneficial after an injury. In reality, physical therapy is highly advantageous for aging individuals even if they have never had an injury in their lives. By working toward personal goals in physical therapy, you can lower your risk for injuries. 

As you age, your likelihood of a fall or other injury-causing incident goes up. At the same time, degenerative conditions, such as arthritis or degenerative disc disease, limit your mobility and cause discomfort, which can reduce your independence. With or without degenerative conditions, physical therapy helps you maintain your strength, balance, coordination, and overall function so you can go about life with less worry about losing your ability to function on your own. 

Setting your personal goals

When you begin physical therapy for any purpose, one of the first steps you’ll take with your physical therapist’s help is setting goals. Of course, they’ll want to know about any past or present injuries and conditions. You can use these to set goals (e.g., restoring joint stability in an injured joint) or set goals that are more general (e.g., improving your endurance).

In any case, your physical therapist can come up with a personalized plan that helps you meet smaller goals while working toward your main objective. If you’re simply curious about what physical therapy can do for you personally as you age, you can work with a physical therapist to figure out which types of exercises will benefit you most based on your age, health, and risk factors. 

Maintaining independence

Once you’ve set your goals, your physical therapist creates a program that helps you reach them. The benefits of physical therapy are widespread, and overall they can help you stay independent as you age. Physical therapy of any kind improves:

• Strength
• Balance
• Posture
• Flexibility
• Endurance

You might not be able to live life without support forever, but physical therapy can potentially push back the need for daytime or 24-hour caregivers to a later time in your life. 

Ready to get started?

If joint pain, mobility limitations, and other signs of aging are becoming more apparent by the year, it may be time for you to start physical therapy. Schedule your consultation by calling Crom Rehabilitation or by scheduling online at the Houston or Pearland location today.