October is National Physical Therapy Awareness Month.

Sep 16 10:42am | Tanya Crowder, OTR/L | @tanyaot | Comments (1)

Author: David Brown, PT

In honor of Physical Therapy Awareness Month, we celebrate the vital role that physical therapy plays in the pain rehabilitation process.  Uniquely, the profession was born during World War I to aid injured soldiers and is now a cornerstone of holistic healthcare. These therapists empower patients to enhance function and reclaim the joy of activities they cherish, like hiking or playing with grandkids, by emphasizing whole-body movement and strength over site-specific treatments.

Through a process called graded exercise, education on body mechanics, and posture, they encourage patients to take an active role in their wellness, moving beyond passive care. They focus on gradual progression that has the added benefit of reducing the fear of movement which aids in reducing pain.

 Pain rehabilitation physical therapists guide individuals to become proactive partners in their journey toward enduring functional improvement.

Interested in more newsfeed posts like this? Go to the Chronic Pain & Symptoms Rehabilitation blog.

Rachel, Volunteer Mentor | @rwinney | Nov 4 6:33pm

Thanks go out to Dave Brown for this post! I'm a little late as October is over, but nonetheless any month is a good month for Physical Therapy awareness.

PT through Mayo's Pain Rehab Center during my rehabilitation journey was very different than I'd experienced in past PT escapades. Prior, going to physical therapy was more site/symptom specific and not focused on a whole body rehabilitation goal to help combat centralized pain and improve function. Partly due to lack of knowledge and proper diagnosis, and the bigger picture of how centralized pain really works.

It's easy to understand how one may want to give up on PT overall, or feel fearful, but there is payoff in learning the power behind sayings like:

~ march before you feel like it
~ motion is lotion
~ hurt does not always equal harm

I've been able to apply graded exercise and feel gradual progression. So much of it is about learning a plan and becomming accountable to exercise versus to deconditioning.

Physical therapy is a pain management tool. What techniques or modified exercises do you use as a tool to help you improve functionality? In what way has exercise helped improve your mental state?