Physical therapy can delay or eliminate the need for surgery:

90% of patients improve their treatment outcomes with physical therapy. This percentage seems high, however, physical therapy has been proven to help time and time again. 

Physical therapy can delay or totally eliminate the need for surgery by:

Reducing inflammation

Many injuries have symptoms of inflammation or swelling that can make movement near the injury site difficult. Physical therapy helps reduce inflammation by teaching the patient special exercises that help the injured area regain range of movement, utilizing electric stimulation therapy that helps prevent atrophy, alternating ice and heat, and more.

Improving movement and strengthening muscles

Physical therapists help improve the movement of your injured muscles by teaching you various stretches and exercises that loosen the muscles and simultaneously strengthen those that may be weak. The physical therapist is similar to a personal trainer in that they work with your body on a specified treatment plan, however, they keep in mind your injured body’s needs. For example, if a patient has an injured lower back, their physical therapist may focus on strengthening their core. When the core is strong, it can better support the lower back.

Improving blood circulation and cardiovascular health

Physical activity improves circulation not only in the injured area but also through the whole body (your heart, blood vessels, lungs, and brain). Since the blood vessels carry nutrients and oxygen to injured tissue, improved circulation also alleviates inflammation and assists in the healing process.

Improving balance

Many older patients have balance issues. Having good balance can prevent potential future injuries and protect patients from re-injuring the same area. A physical therapist will give the patient some balance exercises while keeping a close eye to ensure they do not hurt themself. These exercises should help improve the patient’s balance in their day-to-day life.

As you can see, physical therapy has many benefits. As long as the patient puts the effort into physical therapy, they will come out of it much improved. Ideally, physical therapy can improve a patient’s quality of life to the point where they no longer require surgery to fix their condition anymore. 

 

A first-hand account of injury and physical therapy from a P.A.

I asked Nextgen Wellness Group’s own Mr. Charles Ortega, P.A.C., M.P.A.S. about his first-hand experiences with injuring himself while playing competitive sports and how physical therapy helped improve his various conditions.

Background info.

P.A. Ortega has spent the past 20+ years serving patients in family practice across the DFW Metroplex, and the last 4 years in pain management. P.A. Ortega gained experience in Orthopedic and regenerative therapies in his medical practice and has first-hand knowledge of the recovery to wellness after having played sports competitively. 

Ortega played competitive soccer from the ages of 6 to 33 years old. Unfortunately, he had suffered from several bilateral knee injuries. This led to Ortega getting multiple bilateral knee surgeries. This has given him an understanding of what patients go through with an injury, surgery, and post-surgical rehabilitation.  In going through all of these issues, he has seen the overall treatment of various conditions utilizing conservative management, non-surgical and surgical treatment, and post-surgical rehabilitation.

Injury impact on P.A. Ortega

I asked Ortega how being injured multiple times affected his physical and mental well-being.

The first injury made Ortega want to persevere. He felt like he couldn’t let this be the end of his soccer career and was highly motivated to get better. Though he required surgery, he only improved his condition enough to play soccer again through the work he put into physical therapy.  

The second injury “killed his career and changed his life forever.” Ortega saw himself playing soccer until his 50s, he had no intentions of stopping at age 33. He considered this injury a life-changing experience. Oftentimes, the impact of an injury of this caliber is overlooked by the people around you. Many people still see you as the same, however, your everyday routine is now altered. This carries over into your physical and mental health. Your daily activities are changed completely and the lack of routine can throw you off. 

Once again, Ortega went through various treatments and extensive physical therapy in order to return to normal life. However this time he decided that it was time to move on from soccer and start the next chapter in his life. Unfortunately with high-intensity sports, once injured, there is a higher risk of becoming injured again. P.A. Ortega knew this was true, so he used this injury to shift the focus from sports to beginning his career specializing in pain management.

P.A Ortega’s thoughts on pain management treatments

Ortega stated that very specific treatments are used on very different injuries. No one injury is the same. All treatments such as prescription pain medications, steroid injections, and surgery can be beneficial to the patient. However, most patients underestimate that “physical therapy can resolve a lot of their issues on their own”, without ever needing to escalate to those treatments. Physical therapy is often seen as “just stretching” or “just exercising” but it truly is so much more. 

If you believe physical therapy could be of benefit to you, contact Nextgen Wellness Group today to schedule a consultation.

Our mission is to help patients to return to work, improve their quality of life, reduce dependence on medication and healthcare providers, and avoid persistent injuries.

Epidural Steroid Injections

Steroidal medication injected into a painful joint space can help soothe pain in arthritic joints. Injecting corticosteroids into an arthritic joint will not provide permanent relief on its own,  it can dramatically reduce inflammation and pain. The effects can last anywhere between 1 week to 1 year. Injections for joint pain are usually one of the steps taken before resorting to surgery. In some patients, steroid injections can reduce pain to the point where patients are able to participate in Physical Therapy, which in turn can strengthen the surrounding muscles and eliminate the need for further treatment.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapists diagnose and treat patients with medical problems or injuries that limit their ability to take part in their daily lives. Patients will usually see a physical therapist after a referral by their primary physician. Physical therapists work with patients who have experienced an injury or disease that has affected their movement and range of motion.

At Nextgen Pain & Injury Clinic, our team of licensed physical therapists and rehabilitation experts will focus on your total health and wellness. Regardless of the cause or source of your pain, we will develop a treatment plan with your unique issues in mind.

Our treatment philosophy emphasizes evidence-based manual and therapeutic exercise techniques that are tailored toward efficiently returning patients, athletes, and employees to their pre-injury status. We treat orthopedic and sports injuries, provide spinal rehabilitation, post-surgical rehabilitation, and industrial rehabilitation. Personalized physical therapy is used to treat a variety of conditions.

  • Chronic and acute medical problems
  • Knee pain
  • Back pain
  • Leg Pain
  • Ankle pain
  • Sports injuries
  • Musculoskeletal injuries
  • Chronic medical problems
  • Neurological conditions such as spinal cord injuries

 

Related Links & Resources

Conditions & Services

Pain Management

Auto Injury

Workplace Injury

Personal Injury

Neck & Back Injury

Knee Pain

Joint Pain

Regenerative Medicine

Physical Therapy

Aquatic Therapy

Vestibular Rehab

Traumatic Brain Injury

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Our clinics are conveniently located to provide care for the DFW area.

Dallas, TX

7901 John Carpenter Freeway
Dallas, TX 75247

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Arlington, TX

801 Road to Six Flags West, Suite 146
Arlington, TX 76012

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