National Physical Therapy Month
National Physical Therapy Month
October is National Physical Therapy Month, and Island Sports Physical Therapy in Glen Cove is getting itself prepared for an important fall season. With many autumn sports occurring as of late, and the changing weather patterns, people may be more prone to injuries and falls. If you or your child has suffered an injury, you may think the first thing to do is to try painkillers in order to heal the pain. The physical therapists at Island Sports Physical Therapy are here to tell you why you should choose physical therapy, instead of turning to painkillers.
Opioid abuse is a nationwide epidemic with 33,000 deaths in 2015 happening in the US alone. If you recently underwent surgery, your doctor may have prescribed you an opioid painkiller, including (among others):
- codeine
- fentanyl
- vicodin
- morphine
- methadone
According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, roughly 21-29 percent of patients who get prescribed opioids end up misusing them and becoming addicted. Four to six percent of those who misuse opioids eventually transition to heroin. Choosing physical therapy instead of opioids will prevent addiction, and also keep you healthier in the long run. According to the American Physical Therapy Association President Sharon Dunn, the APTA’s #ChoosePT campaign has already reached millions.
People who should especially choose physical therapy over opioids include those who:
- feel the risks of opioid use outweigh the benefits
- want to do more than just mask the pain
- opioids may reduce the physical pain, but they do not bring many other health benefits aside from that, such as increased mobility or quality of life
- pain or function problems are related to low back pain, hip or knee osteoarthritis, or fibromyalgia
- opioids are prescribed for pain
- even if you do have a prescription, it is important to not just simply rely on the pills, but to add physical therapy as well
- have pain lasting longer than 90 days
The therapists at Island Sports Physical Therapy in Glen Cove are glad to talk to you about opioid abuse prevention, and why you too should #ChoosePT instead. Painkillers may kill the pain, but they do not add many other benefits to your life, the same way physical therapy promotes increased mobility and quality of health through exercise and diets.