If moving your body and stretching your limbs is something you tend to neglect because of injury or illness, now might be a good time to consider a planned form of physical therapy, considering that October is National Physical Therapy Month.
The American Physical Therapy Association is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year – and now more than ever, physical therapists are urging people to get moving.
“We look forward to National Physical Therapy Month every year,” said Kristan Vick, vice president of APTA South Carolina. “We see it not only as a way for us to connect to others but for people to take the initiative to improve their own physical well-being.”
Based on reports by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 80% of adults and adolescents do not get enough physical activity.
In the long run, such activity can benefit your physical, mental and social health and prevent or improve many chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, depression and some cancers.
Excel Rehab & Sports, located in Easley, Clemson and Seneca, highlights National Physical Therapy Month to raise awareness of the many benefits of physical therapy and get more Upstate residents moving again without pain.
“Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, we try to build our physical therapy around the needs of each individual,” said Lee Ann Carroll, corporate marketing and physician relations representative for Excel Rehab & Sports. “All of our patients have different conditions, different histories and different needs, and we start by creating a specialized plan for every patient, depending on their specific need.”
For example, when Seneca resident Dennis Crowe started coming to Excel Rehab in 2021, he did so because two back surgeries in the past seven years had left him with “weakness in my legs.”
“I started physical therapy to strengthen my legs and core muscle area,” Crowe said.
While there are many different types of physical therapy to consider, such as orthopedic, cardiovascular, vestibular and neurological, Crowe had been a patient at Excel Rehab & Sports, receiving treatment for various conditions on and off since 2010, and knew that his condition required orthopedic physical therapy.
David Bright, PT, MPT, COMT, SFMA, and chief of physical therapy with Excel Rehab & Sports, recommended that Crowe begin with one-hour visits twice per week while also working on specific exercises on his own.
“Patients performing exercises on their own is essential to their long-term recovery,” Bright said. “Our goal is for patients to be able to become independent and have success on their own and not just while they are attending their therapy with us.”
Crowe added that recognizing his situation prompted him to get therapy so he could “get back onto the golf course and play without pain or risk of injury.”
Teaching people about the many benefits of physical therapy is the key to National Physical Therapy Month. Started by the American Physical Therapy Association in June 1981 as National Physical Therapy Week, its goal is to engage with local communities and bring awareness that physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education and prescribed movement.
“We encourage patients to research therapy providers they choose for their treatment,” Bright said. “Developing a strong relationship, strengthening trust and open communication are central to achieving positive outcomes during treatment.”
As for Crowe and the road to his recovery, he is golfing again.
“If I didn’t get this kind of physical therapy, I imagine I would wind up in a wheelchair or worse,” Crowe said. “Physical therapy has given me the tools I need today and in the future to stay active and strong.”
For more information, visit www.excelrehabsports.com.
By L. C. Leach III
Photo Courtesy of Excel Sports & Rehab