How can an annual physical therapy checkup inspire an increase in movement?

It’s highly likely that you’ve seen your primary care physician within the past year, even as COVID-19 made it more difficult to do so. A 2019 medical survey found that nearly 85% of people had a visit with a doctor or other medical professional in the past year. Even in a year dominated by COVID-19, many of these visits were likely some form of annual checkup. 

How can we say that? Well, medical surveys also report that about 44 million Americans have an annual checkup every year. But the odds are good that this checkup isn’t an annual physical therapy checkup. Read on to learn more about annual physical therapy checkups and how they can inspire more movement. 

What is an annual physical therapy checkup?

Many people are looking for something that inspires them to move more, but they may not have considered that an annual physical therapy checkup could be the answer. 

Did you know that physical therapists are trained to treat the human musculoskeletal system? This is the very body system that allows us to stand up and move around. An annual physical therapy checkup can: 

• Assess your overall ability to move. 
• Gauge the mobility of your joints.
• Appraise the flexibility of your spine.
• Check your overall flexibility and strength.
• Identify minor issues that could become serious.
• Help correct minor issues before they get worse. 
• Inspire you to learn how to move more effectively. 

How can an annual physical therapy checkup inspire more movement?

There are an awful lot of people out there who have the desire to to move more. Allowing that desire to inspire more movements isn’t always as easy, but an annual physical therapy checkup can help make that jump easier for you. It can do so by: 

1. Helping you understand your movement difficulties — People often allow a stiff knee or a bum ankle to keep them from moving more. One way that an annual physical therapy checkup can inspire movement is by helping you understand such issues. Your physical therapist can educate you on the causes of your particular problem. They can also help you learn about movements you can do while you work to address your issue. 

2. Helping you address movement limitations — Education isn’t the only thing that physical therapists can do for your stiff joints and other movement problems. They can also help you find ways to address your musculoskeletal conditions. They can use their hands to perform hands-on therapy like joint mobilization, which can help ease joint stiffness. They can also prescribe and demonstrate a program of therapeutic exercises for you. This program can help boost your overall flexibility and strength. 

3. Helping you manage chronic issues — It can be hard to inspire people to move more when they have a chronic condition like arthritis or fibromyalgia. However, physical therapists and annual physical therapy checkups can help here, too. An annual physical therapy checkup can help your physical therapist track the progress of your chronic condition. They can also develop a personalized management plan for your condition. As a result, you may find that you’re able to move about more. 

Back in Motion can do an annual physical therapy checkup for you

Looking for an annual physical therapy checkup that can help inspire more movement? You can find it at Back in Motion Physical Therapy. Our physical therapists are capable of doing an annual check on your overall strength and ability to move. They’re also adept at creating customized plans designed to help you address short-term and chronic movement limitations. 

Contact us today for more information about how we can help you get moving more or to schedule an initial appointment with us.