Benefits of Physical Therapy Over Medication and Surgery

When it comes to a musculoskeletal injury or pain, you pretty much have three choices for treatment: medication, surgery, or physical therapy. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need more than one. In today’s fast paced healthcare system, consumers must be  aware of what options they have for their treatment. If not, they may be led down a path that can have serious effects on their health and wallet.  In this blog we will discuss the main treatment options you have when it comes to treating musculoskeletal injuries like osteoarthritis, tendonitis, sprains, and spine pain.

What are the benefits of physical therapy over medication and surgery?

When seeking relief from pain from a musculoskeletal injury, many people are quick to jump to  medication prescribed by their healthcare provider. This makes sense, as they think it might offer a “quick fix.” Some patients who have had an injury or experience chronic pain may turn to medication, whether over the counter (OTC) or prescription to help decrease their discomfort. Medication is often easier to get a hold of and less expensive than having surgery.

Surgery is necessary at times, depending on the injury. For people who have undergone injuries such as spinal cord injuries, soft tissue injuries, fractures, and injuries that cause internal organ damage, surgery can be a must. However, physical therapy after a traumatic injury can help patients heal quicker, improve flexibility, and minimize the development of scar tissue.

There is a third option, however, which is to choose physical therapy as the primary way to cope with injury or chronic pain. YES! There are several benefits that only physical therapy can give you — ways that medication and surgery cannot. Here is a closer look at the benefits of physical therapy:

You don’t have to take any drugs

Many patients do not want to take medications and prefer a more natural option for dealing with an injury or chronic pain. Physical therapy can be that solution.  

At Move Empower Concierge Physical Therapy we offer our patients evidence based treatments that include  manual therapy, dry needling, IASTM, and therapeutic exercise. We believe active treatments are the most beneficial and expeditious to helping people get back to activities they love to do. That’s why you won’t see our patients passively lying on hot pads hooked up to electrical stimulation to ease their pain.  Instead, at Move Empower we focus on hands-on care and education.  We teach our patients about their problems and empower them with the tools they need to  prevent future pain and injury.

Altogether, these treatments  and exercises led by your physical therapist can help improve your range of motion, flexibility, and balance and help to reduce pain without the use of medications. The use of medications can have negative and lasting side effects. 

It’s not even just prescription medications you need to be concerned about. OTC medications can also have negative consequences on long-term health. Did you know that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, Motrin, and Advil, can cause liver and kidney damage with long-term use? Other long-term side effects of NSAIDs can include peptic ulcers, stroke, and heart disease. By choosing to cope with chronic pain in a drug-free way, patients can avoid potential long-term side effects of medication.

It can help you heal quicker

As mentioned before, in some cases, you may need physical therapy following an injury. This can include injuries such as sports injuries or those that are the result of a car accident. Physical therapy promotes proper healing, and because once a muscle or joint is injured it is never quite the same, undergoing physical therapy can actually protect against future injury and surgery.

Physical therapy also aids with healing because it increases blood circulation and can alleviate inflammation, thus helping you heal quicker. 

It can be more cost effective than medication or surgery alone

Depending on the type of injury you have, physical therapy can work just as well as surgery, if not even better. In events where surgery is necessary, physical therapy after surgery can help with the healing process and lower your chances of injuring yourself, as mentioned above. 

Many medications that patients take to help with chronic pain not only have serious long-term side effects, but can also become addictive and costly. Even over the counter medications can become costly if a patient requires them to go about their daily tasks at a manageable pain level.

It may prevent surgery altogether when it comes to sport-related injuries

Did you know that early physical therapy intervention can actually have very promising results for those looking to avoid medication or surgery? Many people see physical therapy as something required after a procedure to help with the healing process (this is true), but physical therapy can also reverse a condition or stop it from progressing and getting worse.

Surgery can be scary for many people; it can be expensive and have risks involved. It can also be inconvenient for a patient. Physical therapy, on the other hand, is significantly cheaper and has minimal to no risk factors like surgery. Risks associated with surgery include anesthesia complications, bleeding problems and clotting, delayed healing, and breathing challenges after surgery.  At Move Empower Concierge Physical Therapy we provide a tailored, one-on-one approach, delivered to your home or office.  

Our mobile physical therapy services in Austin, TX eliminate your need to drive to PT appointments or feel like just another patient at a crowded physical therapy clinic (and still be way less costly than surgery or medication!). It also has a lot less risk involved when compared to surgery. 

By choosing physical therapy either instead of surgery or alongside it, you can improve your outcome and overall sense of well-being and healing.

Manage chronic back pain, which can affect several areas of your life

If you or someone you love struggles with chronic back pain, you know just how much of an impact it can have on your daily life. Basic tasks such as showering, cleaning, cooking, and more can become increasingly difficult due to the pain you may be experiencing. Driving and working can also become more difficult when dealing with chronic back pain. 

How does physical therapy help back pain? At Move Empower Concierge Physical Therapy, our therapists focus on the “root cause” of your pain. Our fellowship trained and board certified orthopedic physical therapists will perform a thorough evaluation to determine the true cause of your back pain and tailor a treatment specific to you. Our hands on approach We help you get back to back the active lifestyle you desire. 

Physical therapy can be so promising that it can actually heal a patient of back pain entirely. At the minimum, physical therapy provides a non-surgical way of coping with long-term back pain so that you can get back to doing more of the activities you love, including any sport activities or spending time with your children (who may want to play and keep you on your feet!).

Want to learn more about how Move Empower Concierge Physical Therapy can help you avoid medication and surgery? Give us a call today at (512) 659-5615 or take advantage of our FREE consultation 30-minute discovery session where we can discuss your pain and learn how we can help get back to the active lifestyle you desire!