Moving is Medicine
Whether you enjoy the classic Jump Around by House of Pain or a more modern Let’s Go by Calvin Harris & Ne-Yo, one thing is certain: Moving is Medicine.
Exercise and moving around in general can be very beneficial for your body. The average human body has over 350 joints. Joints become stiff they’ve been in one place for a long time. Think back on how stiff you feel sitting in a chair for an extended period of time or in a car. Movement is the WD-40 for joints.
Benefits
An added bonus of keeping the joint moving, muscles strong and maintaining good bone health is the surge of endorphins that occurs with exercise, aka the happy hormones. Exercise has been shown in research to improve many mental health ailments like depression. Exercise therapy has also been shown to improve our perception of pain. It has also been shown to benefit individuals with a history of fibromyalgia, chronic pain including chronic neck and back pain, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Current research shows pain is better managed by movement and exercise therapies than opioids and surgery.
Individualized Care is Better
Given the vast spectrum of medical conditions and each person’s unique presentation, it is logical that each person would benefit most from a personalized exercise program. Physical therapists are in an ideal position to provide this for patients. Physical therapists are knowledgeable of both medical conditions and therapeutic exercises. This provides the ability to create a tailored exercise program, which will challenge specific muscles without taxing more sensitive areas of the body.
Our physical therapists will be able to appropriately challenge your body while also treating and resolving symptoms. The physical therapist will be able to help you each step of the recovery process as you work to reach your goals.
Written by: Keely Faridi, PT
