No drugs, no surgery, just relief from pain at last
By Dr. Adam Cramer, PT, DPT; MyoFit Clinic
Physical therapy is the field of medicine that is devoted to restoring and improving human movement. Doctors of physical therapy hold doctorate-level degrees and are experts in physics, kinesiology (study of human movement), exercise and functional independence. They achieve correct posture and spinal alignment by reducing pain, improving muscle function by using physical interventions such as strength training, dry needling, massage and stretching in order to restore pain-free movement, which is crucial to improving your quality of life.
Avoiding Surgery Through Physical Therapy
Nobody wants surgery, so then why do people consult with an orthopedic surgeon? Surgery is a surgeon’s specialty. That’s what they are trained to do.
They may offer costly imaging, sometimes ineffective injections and tell you to “rest and see how it feels.” The problem with this common conservative approach is that it does nothing to help correct the underlying issue that’s contributing to your symptoms when you need it the most.
Then, after four weeks of rest, sometimes it’s worse. Even if the surgeon offers patients to visit their own physical therapy office, these physical therapists only work with post-operative patients. They will treat you in a group with other patients. You might get lost and they are not equipped to help you avoid surgery. So then when your symptoms are worse in four weeks, of course, the only option left is surgery.
Avoiding surgery takes an independent doctor of physical therapy whose only focus is helping people avoid surgery, providing one-on-one care and taking the time to do it right, teaching patients how to effectively control their symptoms and return to normal, symptom-free mobility.
In many cases, physical therapy has been shown to be more effective than surgery when treating a wide variety of conditions, from low back pain to shoulder issues and knee arthritis. So, if you truly want to avoid surgery, think physical therapy first.
No Referral Needed
A doctor of physical therapy can perform a physical therapy evaluation and treatment without a physician referral in the state of Ohio through direct access. Physical therapy is a covered service by all insurance policies up to 100 percent, making it an affordable alternative to costly surgeries.
Dr. Adam M. Cramer, PT, DPT, is a licensed physical therapist and the owner of MyoFit Clinics. For more information, visit MyoFitClinic.com. Clinics are located in Middlefield, 440-632-1007; Chardon,440-286-1007; and one opening in Ashtabula November 2019.