Workplace injuries can be physically and emotionally taxing. While any kind of injury can be difficult to deal with, being injured on the job comes with its own unique challenges. People who are injured on the job tend to have concerns about their return-to-work timeline and restoring their physical capacity. After your injury, seeking immediate medical care can be essential. Untreated conditions can worsen with time. If you are looking to manage your symptoms and work toward a complete recovery, physical therapy can be an excellent choice. 

There are many different ways an individual can be injured on the job. Workplace injuries can include muscle trauma, bone fractures, sprains, strains and more. These injuries are often preventable. Maintaining a safe workplace can help reduce incidents like slipping or heavy lifting injuries. While prevention is a great first line of defense, people still experience workplace injuries. When an injury has already happened, it is important to find care that effectively meets your needs. Physical therapy is a cost-effective treatment option that comes with a range of advantages. Learning about the benefits of PT after a workplace injury can reveal how physical therapy can work for you.

6 benefits of physical therapy after being injured on the job

• Pain management — After injury, you may continue to experience pain for hours, days or weeks. This pain may worsen with physical activity and accompany other symptoms like stiffness and sore joints. With physical therapy, you can manage your pain while working toward a long-term solution. Physical therapy modalities like electrical stimulation can be great for reducing tissue pain. One effective kind of stimulation is called transcutaneous electrical neuromuscular stimulation, or TENS. The benefits of these treatments are often multifaceted. For example, TENS can trigger healing in the tissue while reducing pain signals. This makes physical therapy a highly versatile solution.

• Improved mobility — Workplace injuries can sometimes be debilitating. Injuries that affect the legs and back in particular can make it difficult to move around. Joint injuries can also limit your range of motion. If mobility is a major concern with your injury, physical therapy can help. A physical therapist can use treatment methods such as manual therapy to gradually restore your mobility. This can make it easier to perform daily tasks at work and in your personal life.

• Muscle strengthening — Rehabilitating from an injury can involve long periods of rest. This can lead to extended inactivity. Unused muscles may weaken and atrophy over time. As you look toward a return to work, regaining your muscle strength is essential. Your physical therapist can work to build an exercise regimen tailored to your needs. These exercises can include strength-building motions meant to improve your muscle stability. Strengthening exercises can also boost your recovery time and provide better support to those muscles.

• Faster recovery — Want to get back to work as soon as possible? Physical therapy can help you achieve your recovery goals. While building your treatment plan, you can work with your physical therapist to set goals along a specified timeline. Treatments designed to promote healing can help make your recovery speedy and complete. Physical therapists also document and track patient progress. This can help them adjust treatment as needed to optimize your recovery.

• Complication prevention — Injuries often lead to other related health issues. What starts out as a single condition may develop into several connected conditions that must be treated. The holistic approach of physical therapy works to address the patient’s whole body. By looking at the way different conditions interact with each other, your physical therapist can apply treatment methods that address the root causes of your symptoms. Frequent physical therapy sessions can also help stop complications before they happen. Your physical therapist can identify potential issues that could arise from your injury and implement preventive strategies.

• Personalized treatment — A top-notch physical therapist will understand that each patient is unique. To achieve effective results, physical therapy involves treatment plans that are tailored to each individual patient. An initial assessment can help your physical therapist understand your specific needs and goals. This enables them to design a personalized treatment plan that includes a combination of different specialized methods.

Lattimore Physical Therapy can help you on your recovery journey

If you have been injured on the job, receiving physical therapy treatment can have many advantages. At Lattimore Physical Therapy, our dedicated team can apply a range of innovative techniques designed to help you recover. With the help of physical therapy, you can make progress toward a successful return to work.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.