Quite commonly, physical therapy is done to treat a patient’s acute or chronic pain. The therapy can work in the short term or the long term and may even eliminate the pain entirely and prevent it from coming back. Pain relief is a major benefit of physical therapy, and you can almost certainly expect it for yourself. It’s also common for physical therapy to be done to improve a patient’s mobility and function. For example, if a patient is having trouble with their posture and with walking, physical therapy can help. Another example is when an athlete or active person benefits from the strengthening and stretching exercises in physical therapy. These exercises can improve joint stabilization and muscle strength, as well as help to prevent and treat injuries like stress fractures. Even when a patient isn’t experiencing any issues at all, physical therapy can help, but it can really help patients with chronic health conditions and chronic pain. A patient with a chronic condition like osteoarthritis can benefit greatly from physical therapy. With this condition in particular, physical therapy can relieve pain or be done as a component of a joint-replacement recovery program. Physical therapy can also be done for other chronic conditions or for recovery and rehabilitation after surgery. You’re welcome to reach out to us here at Hudson Sport & Spine to learn more about the applications and benefits of physical therapy.