The leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States is chronic disease. Heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and lung disease are chronic diseases. Your lifestyle is the primary cause of these diseases. Behaviors like physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet, and tobacco use are all associated with chronic diseases. These diseases are preventable. However, the medical system in the United States is more prone to treating these illnesses after they’ve occurred. Ideally, healthcare providers should look towards prevention first.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have labeled lifestyle diseases an epidemic. In response to this epidemic, healthcare providers are stepping up to the plate to take the first step towards lifestyle disease prevention.
Health: How a Physical Therapist can Help
Physical therapists are the ideal providers to promote health and wellness in their patients. You may see your physician only periodically for well visits or the occasional illness. When you attend physical therapy you typically spend an hour with your therapist 2-3 times per week for several weeks. It is easy to build a strong patient-provider relationship. Also, physical therapists often have difficult lifestyle choice conversations with their patients. They help you establish a system to monitor your accountability.
Did you know physical therapists have the basic knowledge and skills to promote health and wellness in five important areas? Physical therapists screen for and identify problems with:
- Physical inactivity
- Nutrition and weight management
- Smoking
- Sleep
- Stress
You may be surprised to learn that unhealthy behaviors or habits may contribute to the pain or injury for which you were seeking physical therapy. Physical therapy can reduce or eliminate pain. But if you continue unhealthy behaviors such as a poor diet or sedentary lifestyle and do not incorporate exercise or physical activity into your life the pain will likely return. Sleep and stress also play a vital role in healing and recovery and should be addressed if problematic.
Take Action to Become As Healthy As You Can
Physical therapists are equipped with tips, tricks, and resources to help you in the areas above. They can provide education, and help with accountability, motivation, and support. If you have a trusting relationship with your physical therapist they can help reinforce your healthy habits along the way.
Ask yourself “Do I engage in health-promoting activities?”. If the answer is “no”, your physical therapist can be your guide and your way to getting started. For more help, contact one of our clinics and schedule an initial evaluation with your physical therapist.
