We all know that annual check-ups are a necessary ingredient to achieving and maintaining optimal health. We’re told to have our teeth checked at the dentist twice a year, our eyes checked at the optometrist/ophthalmologist every year or two, and essentially our organs and organ systems checked at the primary care doctor once a year. But what about our bones and muscles, and all the parts that connect them? The health of these structures is absolutely crucial for allowing the body to move and function properly, and without injury. This is why we strongly recommend that you also have an annual check-up with one of our physical therapists to avoid pain in Glenn Dale.

We understand that this suggestion may not sound like the most attractive idea, especially when you consider how many medical visits you already have throughout the year. But we hope that by breaking it down as follows, you can see what a major gap an annual physical therapy check-up can fill for you:

• Annual check-ups with your primary care doctor are incredibly important, but they focus mainly on the general health of your body
• Most of these visits are fairly brief, and doctors are most concerned with looking for signs of disease that are related to organs—like your heart, lungs or liver—or organ systems—like your digestive, circulatory or reproductive systems
• But doctors usually don’t spend much time evaluating how your musculoskeletal system—which includes your bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons—is working
• This system provides form, support, stability and movement to the entire body, and when there are problems with it, the result is pain and improper functioning

This is exactly where physical therapy comes in. Physical therapists are highly educated, licensed health care professionals who are trained to evaluate the musculoskeletal system and provide treatments designed to reduce pain and restore mobility. And although many people may think that physical therapists are only to be seen after an injury occurs, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Physical therapists are experts at diagnosing problems that can lead to an injury before it occurs, and the best way to do this is with an annual check-up.

Getting to the root of any problems to prevent pain in Glenn Dale

During an annual check-up, your physical therapist will perform a thorough evaluation of your balance, strength and flexibility of your entire body, and then ask you detailed questions about your injury history and quality of movement. The physical therapist will also work with you to address any personal pain, limitations, weakness or any other impairments that may be holding you back from living your daily life as you’d like to.

From here, the physical therapist will determine what the next steps are, depending on the results of the evaluation. For some, this may be as little as a home-exercise program, some general exercise recommendations, or possibly even nothing at all if no problems were detected and your health is in tip-top shape. But if the physical therapist diagnoses a movement disorder or signs of a disorder developing, they may suggest coming in for a treatment program to address your issue and prevent it from progressing further. In this case, physical therapy may very well save you from a chronic condition that will be much more difficult to treat in the future.

Perhaps the best part is that you don’t need a referral from another doctor to see a physical therapist. All 50 states and Washington, D.C. allow for direct access, which means you can schedule a physical therapy check-up on your own without a doctor’s referral, and in Maryland, there are no limitations or restrictions whatsoever for treatment absent of a referral.

So what are you waiting for? Schedule an appointment with CAM Physical Therapy and Wellness Services today, and you’ll be on your way to better physical functioning and preventing pain in Glenn Dale. Call us at 301-464-7390 today for an annual check-up at any of our three locations in Laurel, Hyattsville or Glenn Dale/Bowie, or click here for more information on the importance of these visits.