Most people live under the impression that Physical Therapy is only helpful for treating musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, foot and ankle pain, and knee pain, etc. They consult a physical therapist only when they receive a sport or an auto injury.

Apart from that, if they struggle with any other health condition such as dizziness or vertigo, they hardly think about physical therapy as a treatment option for addressing their problem.

And that’s because they have a limited understanding of the potential of physical therapy in treating health problems.

So, if you also think that a physical therapist can only address musculoskeletal disorders, perhaps it’s time to change your opinion now. The truth is, you can consult them for a variety of health issues.

Here are the non-musculoskeletal conditions for which you can seek physical therapy.

Depression

Have you ever thought of consulting a physical therapist for treating depression? Well, if you haven’t thought of it yet, then you should do that now. Yes, physical therapy is one of the best ways to treat depression.

Whether the cause of your depression is a chronic illness, social isolation, substance abuse, financial problem, the death of a loved one, cut-throat competition at the workplace, divorce, or job insecurity, physical therapy can play a vital role in improving your condition.

When you consult a physical therapist for the first time, they ask you tons of questions to figure out the actual cause of your depression. They also ask you about your symptoms, and you should be able to explain them effectively to your therapist so that they can come to a reliable diagnosis.

Once they discover the actual cause of your depression, they will design an effective exercise program for you to address the symptoms of your problem.

So, if you are experiencing symptoms like difficulty falling asleep, restlessness, anxiety, hopelessness, mood swings, loss of interest in the activities you used to enjoy earlier, irritability, and loss of concentration, etc., then the exercises that your physical therapist will incorporate in your care plan will address them adequately.

Therapeutic exercise helps in releasing feel-good hormones such as serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine, which play a crucial role in strengthening your mental health.

Stress

Physical therapy is also a great way to relieve your stress. When you are too tensed or exhausted your body releases a hormone called cortisol, which increases your stress level. But physical therapy can balance the production of this stress hormone thereby reducing your stress level.

Stress can have a detrimental effect on your health; therefore, it’s better to use a drug-free treatment approach like physical therapy to manage it.

Stress not only affects your thoughts and feelings but also increase the risk of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, blood pressure, and heart disease.

Concussion

If you are observing symptoms like nausea, sleepiness, confusion, dizziness, headache, irritability, and ringing in the ears, etc., after experiencing a severe blow to your head, then perhaps you are suffering from a concussion. And you should consult a physical therapist as soon as possible to deal with it.

According to Rebound Fitness & Rehabilitation, “If left untreated, concussions can even inhibit growth in young children and bring on early dementia for older patients.”

A physical therapist with a specialization in neurology can design a highly effective care plan to address the signs and symptoms of your problem.

Concussions are common among athletes who play contact sports such as basketball, wrestling, football, and soccer, etc.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, from 2001 to 2009, “the estimated number of visits to hospital emergency departments for sports- and recreation-related concussions increased 62%, from 153,375 to 248,418, in persons 19 years or younger.”

 Headaches

Headaches, which stem from conditions like muscle tension, depression, stress, lack of sleep, fever, and viral infections, etc., can be treated with physical therapy.

Whether you are suffering from tension headaches, hypertension headaches, post-traumatic headaches, cluster headaches, exertion headaches, migraines, or caffeine headaches and hormone headaches, physical therapy can play a significant role in improving your condition.

Before designing a treatment plan for you, your therapist will identify the root cause of your headache. They will also check your medical history to get detailed information on your overall health. After recognizing the actual cause of your problem, your therapist will use an ideal physical therapy technique to address it.

 Vertigo

If you are observing symptoms like nausea, sleepiness, confusion, dizziness, headache, irritability, and ringing in the ears, etc., after experiencing a severe blow to your head, then perhaps you are suffering from a concussion. And you should consult a physical therapist as soon as possible to deal with it.

According to Rebound Fitness & Rehabilitation, “If left untreated, concussions can even inhibit growth in young children and bring on early dementia for older patients.”

A physical therapist with a specialization in neurology can design a highly effective care plan to address the signs and symptoms of your problem.

Concussions are common among athletes who play contact sports such as basketball, wrestling, football, and soccer, etc.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, from 2001 to 2009, “the estimated number of visits to hospital emergency departments for sports- and recreation-related concussions increased 62%, from 153,375 to 248,418, in persons 19 years or younger.”

 Headaches

Headaches, which stem from conditions like muscle tension, depression, stress, lack of sleep, fever, and viral infections, etc., can be treated with physical therapy.

Whether you are suffering from tension headaches, hypertension headaches, post-traumatic headaches, cluster headaches, exertion headaches, migraines, or caffeine headaches and hormone headaches, physical therapy can play a significant role in improving your condition.

Before designing a treatment plan for you, your therapist will identify the root cause of your headache. They will also check your medical history to get detailed information on your overall health. After recognizing the actual cause of your problem, your therapist will use an ideal physical therapy technique to address it.

 Vertigo

If you are feeling as if you are spinning, or the world around you is spinning, then perhaps you are suffering from vertigo, which is an inner ear problem.

Other common symptoms of this inner ear problem include feeling unbalanced, tilting, vomiting, headache, and sweating, etc. Some of the common causes of vertigo include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Meniere’s disease, and vestibular neuritis.

Physical therapy offers tremendous benefits to people struggling with vertigo.

Apart from treating the above problems, a physical therapist can also address issues like jaw pain and painful intercourse.

The post 5 Non-Musculoskeletal Conditions That Physical Therapy Can Treat appeared first on ExploreLifeStyle.