This American Heart Month, we want to put a special focus on just how vital cardiovascular health is to your overall wellness.
Heart disease is incredibly commonplace. New research from the American Heart Association (AHA) shows that nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have cardiovascular issues. Because the condition is so rampant, it’s essential to make sure you’re doing your part to keep your heart healthy. With physical therapy, you can make lifestyle changes to improve heart health.
Eliminating Opioid Usage
While opioids can be useful in treating pain, usage has been linked to a higher risk of death from cardiovascular issues such as coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Physical therapy is a safe alternative to opioids and among one of the most recommended treatment options by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in managing most non-cancer related pain. Opioids should only be a temporary solution as they simply mask the sensation of pain, while physical therapists treat the source of the pain through movement, manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and education. One recent study found that patients who saw a physical therapist for lower back pain before trying other treatments were 89% less likely to need an opioid prescription.
Getting Your Body Ready for Movement
According to the AHA, one should engage in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise every week. However, it can be challenging to meet your fitness goals if you’re experiencing persistent stiffness or pain. Physical therapy addresses these limiting physical issues and enables you to participate freely in your favorite activities. With physical therapy, you can regain mobility safely by implementing therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, and other techniques to slowly build up weak areas, open up restricted areas, and reduce stressors on the body.
Making Fitness Fun
Participating in heart-healthy activities should be something you enjoy, not a chore, and exercise of any kind is not a one-size-fits-all routine. Physical therapists have the knowledge and training of the many ways to achieve any particular fitness goal based on your individual needs. Many PTs will design a tailored fitness regimen so you can look forward to staying in shape. With a custom exercise program created by experienced physical therapists, you can work out using physical activities geared to your abilities and fitness goals to prevent injury and remain heart healthy.
Don’t let yourself become another statistic. By utilizing physical therapy, you can keep heart disease at bay and ensure your body is always in fighting shape. Contact the expert physical therapists at SetPT today to get started on creating an exercise program built just for you.
