Get Ready to Move!
Carlson ProCare offers annual wellness visits for our community. These visits are for people who want to prevent future problems or injuries with an assessment by a physical therapist and instruction in an exercise program. Some people want to make sure they are ready for certain activities, like starting a new sport, taking up running, trying CrossFit or HIIT training, increasing their regular exercise, playing with their grandchildren, gardening, chopping wood, or shoveling snow. Others may be concerned about their risk for falling or injury and want an assessment of their risk factors. One way to do this is with an annual physical therapy wellness visit or check-up.
Make it a Yearly Visit
Yearly visits to the primary care physician and the dentist are often scheduled six months to one year in advance, and have become non-negotiable annual health “check-ups.” The impact of these visits on your health cannot be understated; however, you might be overlooking the health of other parts of the body that are vital to proper function and form. When you make the healthcare rounds this year, consider adding a trip to the physical therapist to the list.
The tests and screens that a licensed Physical Therapist might perform during an annual check-up to assess your strength, stability, and mobility are not all that different from what you can expect during an annual exam with your primary care physician. Just as PTs do, physicians follow a checklist. The information collected can be compared with last year’s results to reveal any inconsistencies that could signal problems. Similarly, during an annual physical therapy appointment, your Physical Therapist captures an overall picture of your musculoskeletal health that can be compared from year to year.
Why Physical Therapy?
Physical therapists are trained to address the specific needs of your musculoskeletal system, which is composed of your muscles, bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, fascia, and other connective tissues. An annual Physical Therapy check-up can ensure that these essential internal structures are working together to support, stabilize and move your body. During an annual visit, a PT will gather the patient’s health history and perform a series of tests and measures, including a screening of the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and cardiovascular systems.
Research shows that by performing several types of movement screens, physical therapists can more fully assess their patients’ functional movement patterns and interpret their strengths and weaknesses. According to a study called, “Assessing movement using a variety of movement screens” (Bishop et al. 2015) it’s important for PTs to combine several movement screening tools to capture a complete picture of the patient’s abilities and limitations.
Whether you’re an elite athlete, just getting started with an exercise program, or hate exercise but want to be able to do your favorite hobbies without pain, clinical screening tools help PTs understand how your body performs during a series of movements. Based on the information gathered, the PT is equipped to design an individualized program to prevent injuries.
Try Carlson ProCare
The team of professional physical therapists at Carlson ProCare are movement experts who will help you achieve your goals, whether it is to run a faster 5k, work in your garden, or improve your squat technique. We want to know what is important to you and then design a program that helps you achieve your goals.
Contact us today to schedule your physical therapy check-up.
