For certain people, such as a person who has suffered from a stroke or a lost limb, the return to full function is just not possible. Therefore, physical therapists do their best to work with such patients to help them adjust to their chronic pain or debilitative condition(s). Chronic diseases are diseases of long duration and generally slow progression. They are characterized by a slow, insidious onset, implying a gradual development of structural damage. Many chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes are the leading causes of death in the world. Many people are under the misconception that physical therapy is only for patients with an acute injury, a sports medicine injury, or are in a post-surgical rehabilitative phase. This is not the case.
Physical therapy has been shown to be very effective when treating patients with a chronic disease and/or debilitative condition. In some cases, the chronic condition can possibly be cured through physical therapy, but at the least, physical therapy will likely decrease symptoms and make it easier to function in everyday life. Physicians often recommend physical therapy to their patients suffering from a chronic and/or debilitative condition and it is viewed as a positive approach to treatment. The aim in the treatment of chronic diseases is to arouse the system to acute eliminative effort. In other words, while in acute disease our hydropathic treatment is sedative, in chronic disease it is stimulative. PT Northwest offers a variety of different therapies that manage chronic disease, such as:
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Therapy
- Aquatic Therapy
- Women’s Health Issues
*Click on Our Services from our Home Page to learn more about all the therapies offered at PT Northwest
PT Northwest treats patients with many different chronic conditions, such as:
- Arthritis
- Chronic Pain (i.e., low back, neck, knee)
- Fibromyalgia
- Stroke
- Headaches and TMJ
- Congenital Disorders
References:
Hayes, D. (Ed.) (1998). Exploring Health Care Careers; Real People Tell You What You Need To Know. Chicago: Ferguson Publishing Company.
Hong, J. Ph.D., ATC. (2009). Sports-Injury Prevention. Willamette University.
Kirkaldy-Willis, W.H., & Burton, C.V. (Ed.). (1992). Managing Low Back Pain (3rd ed.). New York: Churchill Livingstone.
