Therapeutic exercises are a planned set of physical movements or activities that target specific impairments, dysfunction, or region of pain with the goal of improving function, strength, and ability to navigate through one's daily goals and routines.
At Topflight Physical Therapy, we use a focused approach to therapeutic exercises where one size does not fit all. Many times, an exercise for low back pain in one patient, may not be the correct exercise for a patient who appears to have the same low back pain. For this reason, our goal for therapeutic exercise is to improve function.
Therapeutic Exercise Goals
- Improve ambulation (walking)
- Release contracted muscles, tendons, and/or fascia
- Mobilize joints
- Improve flexibility
- Improve circulation
- Improve coordination
- Improve balance decreasing fall risk
- Improve strength
- Improve endurance
When to use therapeutic exercise to help with pain?
All situations bring their own challenges. Patient's have often stopped exercising when their pain has increased. Once a patient can understand his or her problem, then he or she tolerate physical activity better by understanding triggers to the pain. Time and time again, patient have been shown to improve in pain, dysfunction, and disability if they can remain active and moving. Our goal is to incorporate physical activity into our patient's daily lives which helps them function more effectively in their enviornment.