Therapeutic Exercise

Therapeutic Exercise FAQ: 

When you say the words “physical therapy” most people automatically assume you have had surgery. Yet physical therapy goes beyond post-surgical care restoring strength, endurance, flexibility and stability to people who have been injured, are in pain, or have experienced illness. Through therapeutic exercise, it is possible to have your function restored and live a life that is pain-free. Request your consultation with Reddy Care Physical Therapy and find out how our physical therapist can relieve your pain.

What is Therapeutic Exercise?

The goal of any exercise program is to leave you feeling healthier and stronger than when you began. Therapeutic exercise has similar goals, but incorporates a wide range of activities that help you regain or maintain your strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, or stability.

 Whether you have been injured, experienced an illness, or are simply noticing you are losing your physical abilities, therapeutic exercise can prevent impairment and disability while improving your overall fitness. Typically performed as a part of a physical therapy treatment plan, this type of exercise is prescribed by a physical therapist.

Types of Therapeutic Exercises

Each therapeutic exercise is classified by its purpose.

• Range of Motion – These exercises are aimed at increasing the range of motion in your joints and soft tissues. 

• Muscle Performance – Increasing power, endurance, and muscle strength are vital to good balance and stability as well as bone and joint health. Resistance exercises and endurance exercises are designed to increase muscle strength without injury.

• Posture – Hours spent at desks, bending over keyboards, poor muscle tone, or simple habit can all lead to terrible posture. What you may not realize is that posture has a direct impact on muscle strength, balance and a tendency toward injury. Posture exercises are aimed at correcting poor posture, not just when you exercise, but in your life in general which can alleviate aches and pains.

• Balance & Coordination – Every time you stand or sit, bones and muscles work in conjunction with one another to help you remain upright. Every time you stand, walk, sit, brush your teeth, cook a meal, or take care of your daily activities, you are testing your coordination between the muscular and skeletal systems in your body. 

• Relaxation – Relaxation is part of therapeutic exercise? You bet! While it is important to work the muscles, joints, and soft tissues in the body, it is also important to help them relax. 

• Area Specific Exercises – It’s easy to think of exercise as something we do with our muscles, but it is also important to help the body’s other systems. In these cases, exercises that target breathing or circulation may be recommended to help speed healing, improve blood flow or lower stress on the body.

How does therapeutic exercise relieve pain?

It may seem counterintuitive to exercise when you are in pain. After all, the last thing you want to do when you are uncomfortable is make yourself more uncomfortable. Yet when you treat pain with medication and rest, you are only allowing the supporting muscles to weaken, causing greater pain and less functionality of the area. A physical therapist is trained to evaluate your body’s function, strength and range of motion as well as your pain levels when you perform basic tasks.

They can then create a customized treatment plan, including therapeutic exercise, that can strengthen weak areas, restore function to healing or surgically repaired joints, and reduce your overall pain levels. Not only can you experience a pain-free life, but you can also do so with greater strength and endurance than before. Still curious how physical therapy services and therapeutic exercise can help you? Let us conduct an evaluation and help you get on the road to recovery.

At Reddy Care Physical and Occupational Therapy, we can get you set up with the right therapist for you. Call today to schedule a consultation!

Great Neck: 475 Northern Blvd., Ste.11, Great Neck, NY 11021  Tel. (516) 829-0030

Farmingdale: 309 North West Dr., Farmingdale, NY 11735   Tel. (516) 420-2900

Woodbury: 150 Woodbury Rd., Woodbury, NY 11797   Tel. (516) 367-1111

Deer Park: 2024 Deer Park Ave., Deer Park, NY 11729   Tel. (631) 243-0247

North Shore Towers: 272-78 Grand Central Pkwy., Floral Park, NY 11005   Tel. (516) 344-0030

Bayside - Aquatic Therapy: 208-32 Cross Island Pkwy., Bayside, NY11360  Tel. (718) 224-8480

Oceanside: 2421 S Long Beach Rd., Oceanside, NY 11572  Tel. (516) 992-2282

New York City: 250 West 93rd Street, New York, NY 10025 Tel. (212) 580-0125

 In-Home Physical & Occupational Therapy (Home Care): 516-829-0030 

*Home therapy servicing Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx & Manhattan*

Sources: Source 1

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Written by:

Dr. Vinod Somareddy, PT, DPT

President

Reddy Care Physical Therapy

Reddy Care Occupational Therapy

Reddy Care Aquatic Therapy

Author

Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy is an outstanding specialty service providing exceptional care and state-of-the-art treatments for the residents of Farmingdale and Great Neck, New York. The combination of innovative exercise programs, manual therapy, and technology together with the expertise of every member of the team enables Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy to provide services that ensure superior clinical outcomes and consistently high patient satisfaction.