Article includes information about active physical therapy treatments, also known as exercise. Exercise improves strength, range of motion, and flexibility to help heal your spine and prevent back and neck pain.
The best way to find a massage therapist is to get a referral from a friend who gets massage therapy, a health professional who is knowledgable about alternative healthcare, or by contacting the American Massage Therapy Association.
Your primary care doctor will most likely refer you to a physical therapist if you need one, but if you are selecting a physical therapist on your own, there are things you should take into consideration to ensure that you make the best decision.
Gentle water exercises use the water's resistance to build muscle strength and flexibility. Water exercise can benefit people who find weight bearing exercise difficult (or painful) on dry land.
The key to a healthy body is good circulation, and massage is a direct way to improve the flow of blood and lymph. These fluids carry nutrients and oxygen and carry away wastes and toxins.
The purpose of Occupational Therapy (OT) is to help people increase their functional independence in daily life while preventing or minimizing disability. Often OT is combined with other treatments including Physical Therapy.
Physical therapy (PT) can help to decrease the abnormal and excessive stress to the spine through postural and body mechanics training, and patient education.