Annual Physical Therapy Check-Up: Vital for New Yorkers

What to Expect in an Annual Physical Therapy Check-Up

One of our physical therapists will come to your home or office and evaluate your posture, balance, strength, and flexibility to identify any potential issues that could lead to pain or injury.  We’ll observe your posture while standing and sitting, looking for any imbalances, asymmetries, or deviations from normal alignment that could contribute to pain or movement difficulties.  We’ll watch you walk to assess your walking pattern, stride length, balance, and any limitations or compensations in your gait. Your gait is just a fancy word for the way you walk, balance is key for a steady gait, and any pain or injuries can throw off your walking pattern.  

You might be asked to perform specific movements like squatting, reaching, or lifting  to assess flexibility and identify any limitations.  Your physical therapist will gently move your joints to assess their full range of motion and feel for any restrictions or tightness in the joint capsule or surrounding tissues.  Your physical therapist might ask you to perform specific tests or maneuvers to assess the integrity of your ligaments, tendons, or other structures – all to identify and or rule out specific injuries or conditions. These are all movement assessments and a cornerstone of physical therapy.  

The goal of movement assessments is to gain a comprehensive understanding of your condition and pinpoint any restrictions, weaknesses, or imbalances that might be contributing to your pain or functional limitations.  The information gathered from the movement assessment helps your physical therapist tailor a personalized treatment plan structured to resolve all issues and  help you achieve your optimal level of function and mobility.  

When Should You Have a Physical Therapy Check-Up?

Just like with dental check-ups, a yearly physical therapy check-up is like a tune-up for your body, prudent  even if you’re not currently experiencing any pain or problems. A physical therapy check-up helps identify any hidden problems, maintain your wellness as you age, and optimize your movement for both daily life in New York City and athletic endeavors in Central park, Chelsea Piers, the pickleball court or wherever. 

Don’t wait for pain to become a major issue, if you’re experiencing any pain or discomfort definitely contact us. Think proactively about your overall wellness and preventing problems before they occur.   Here’s when you should consider having a physical therapy check-up:

Yearly check-up:  Similar to an annual appointment with your dentist, a yearly physical therapy check-up can help identify and address potential musculoskeletal issues before they become major problems.  The typical issues with the potential to surface in a physical therapy check-up are:

• Muscle Weakness: It’s common if not expected for certain muscles to weaken as we age, particularly if we’re less active. This can affect balance, stability, and increase the risk of falls.  
• Decreased Flexibility: Reduced flexibility in muscles and joints can limit movement and make everyday activities more challenging and also increase the risk of strains or injuries.  
• Posture Issues: Posture problems can lead to neck pain, back pain, headaches, and even breathing difficulties – all which can be identified and provided with guidance on correcting.  
• Balance Deficits: Balance problems commonly lead to falls, particularly as you age.  A check-up can spot any elevated risk and offer guidance of specific exercises that can improve stability and reduce fall risk.  
• Early Signs of Joint Problems:  Any early signs of arthritis or other joint problems can be detected  before they become painful, allowing for early preventative  intervention.

Starting a new fitness program or activity: With a check-up, a Physical Therapist can assess your body’s readiness for new activities and help prevent injuries.  For example, before heading to the pickleball court we can assess your:

• flexibility and range of motion in your joints, particularly your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles.
• evaluate your leg and core strength, which are crucial for quick movements and balance on the court.
• gauge your cardiovascular health and any past injuries or existing conditions that might affect your ability to play. 

This personalized assessment helps ensure you’re physically prepared to enjoy pickleball safely and reduce your risk of injury. If necessary we can provide tailored advice on exercises and warm-up techniques to further improve your game and prevent problems.  

Even before pursuing something as seemingly benign as gardening, we can assess your ability to perform common tasks, such as lifting bags of soil, reaching for plants, and maintaining kneeling or squatting positions. We can help you check your hand and grip strength, as well as your balance, to ensure you can safely make your way around the garden.  We would also consider any previous injuries or health conditions that might affect your gardening. Based on this evaluation we can provide personalized exercises to improve your strength and flexibility, if necessary suggest modifications to prevent injuries while you enjoy your gardening activities.

Experiencing aches, pain or discomfort: You know when you’re feeling a new or recurring pain and it’s never helpful to wait for pain to become debilitating. Starting physical therapy soon after an injury, surgery, or noticing pain or limited movement can significantly improve your recovery. While rest is important after an injury, staying inactive for too long can actually slow down healing. Early intervention helps manage inflammation, promotes blood flow to the injured area, and allows for targeted exercises to strengthen and mobilize the affected area of pain.  Essentially, early treatment helps your body heal more efficiently and reduces the risk of complications from prolonged inactivity. Plus, it can provide psychological support during recovery, which is important for overall well-being.  

Early intervention leads to faster healing, better overall outcomes, and can help manage pain, reducing the need for medication. By addressing the problem promptly, you can avoid further damage and potentially save money by preventing the need for more invasive treatments later on. Numerous studies have shown that people who seek early professional help for their injuries recover faster and have better outcomes compared to those who wait, delay, and procrastinate. “Early physiotherapy treatment for muscle and bone injuries (like sprains and strains) in military personnel seems to have significant benefits, especially in the early stages of recovery”. – Source.  

Prior to and after surgery:  A physical therapy check-up before surgery or “prehab” gets your body in the best possible shape to handle the stress of surgery, bounce back and recover more quickly.   A physical therapy check-up before surgery can result in a treatment plan to strengthen muscles, improve range of motion, and learn pain management techniques beforehand, so you can reduce post-surgery pain and the risk of complications.   On the other side of the actual operation, experiencing muscle weakness, joint stiffness, and some pain is common but a physical therapy check-up beforehand will have you prepared to address these issues by identifying the areas to treat with targeted exercises to: 

• rebuild strength and improve mobility. 
• manage pain and reduce swelling.
• restore your body’s function, prevent complications. 
• help you regain independence in your daily activities. 

Your Physical Therapist can structure a personalized plan covering both pre and post surgery to get you back to doing the things you love, whether it’s returning to work or enjoying your favorite activities and hobbies.  Click here to learn about our Pre & Post Surgery Program. 

Concerns about aging: As we age, our bodies naturally lose muscle strength, flexibility, and balance, making everyday activities harder and increasing the risk of falls. A physical therapy check-up can help you address these changes by creating a personalized exercise plan to improve your strength, mobility, and balance, allowing you to maintain your independence.

We feature delivering the Otago Exercise Program, a at-your-home or at-your-office based program designed to help older adults improve their balance and reduce falls. It starts with a personalized assessment by a physical therapist who then creates a tailored plan of 17 strength and balance exercises. These exercises, like standing on one leg or walking heel-to-toe, gradually become more challenging as you improve.  Combined with a walking plan, the Otago Exercise Program helps you build strength and confidence in your movements, making everyday activities easier and reducing your risk of falls.  Click here to learn about our Otago Exercise Program.

Our physical therapists can also help manage pain from age-related conditions like arthritis, and even identify subtle warning signs of potential problems you might not notice on your own. Difficulty with balance, coordination, or walking can sometimes be early indicators of neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis. Decreased strength or endurance, or difficulty performing daily tasks can be similar red flags to check for heart disease or diabetes.   By catching these subtle warning signs early, our Physical Therapist can help you address potential health problems before they become serious, keeping you active and independent.

New medical diagnosis: A physical therapy check-up is prudent upon receiving a new medical diagnosis to learn how to safely exercise and navigate through your newly discovered condition.  It’s very likely there may be some functional implications and a physical therapist can help you understand how your diagnosis will affect your body and your ability to move, function, and perform daily activities.  In a physical therapy check-up you will receive a tailored education about your condition in context to your body along with how to manage it, enabling you to take an active role in your recovery.   This may include guidance and exercises to improve strength, flexibility, balance, while reducing pain and any reliance on medication.  Specific examples of how physical therapy helps with medical diagnoses:

• Stroke: After a stroke, physical therapy helps regain lost motor skills, improve balance, and relearn essential activities like walking, dressing, and eating.
  
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Physical therapy can help improve strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination, allowing you to maintain mobility and independence.
  
• Parkinson’s Disease: Physical therapists can design and guide through an exercise program to address the specific motor challenges of Parkinson’s (tremors, rigidity, and slow movement)..
  
• Arthritis: Physical therapists can design exercise programs to strengthen muscles around affected joints, improve range of motion, and reduce pain and stiffness.
    
• Cardiopulmonary Conditions (COPD, Asthma): Physical therapy helps improve breathing techniques, increase exercise capacity, for those with chronic lung conditions.
  

Cancer: Physical therapy can help manage the side effects of cancer treatment, such as fatigue, pain, and weakness, and improve overall fitness and well-being.

The Stress of New York City Living, Muscle Tightness and  Pain & Physical Therapy Check-Up

The constant stress of New York City life, like dealing with crowds and noise, triggers your body’s “fight-or-flight” response, leading to tense muscles and while helpful in short bursts, when it’s constant it can restrict blood flow, change your posture and result in physical pain.  On top of that, stress disrupts your hormones and immune system, making you more sensitive to pain and increasing inflammation in your body – leaving many with chronic pain.  Rest assured,  tension and stress of  New York City living can manifest in a variety of physical aches and pains.  Specific examples are:

• Tension headaches: Tight muscles in the neck and shoulders can lead to headaches.  
• Jaw pain: Clenching your jaw due to stress can cause temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.  
• Back pain: Poor posture and muscle tension can contribute to back pain.  
• Shoulder pain: Carrying heavy bags or hunching your shoulders can strain the muscles and joints in your shoulders.

A yearly physical therapy check-up can help combat the negative effects of New York City life by detecting muscle tension and poor posture, tailoring a personalized treatment plan that includes coping strategies, physical activity and how to better sleep, all of which help manage stress.  Through hands-on techniques and targeted exercises, Physical Therapy can improve your posture, teach you relaxation techniques like deep breathing, and increase your body awareness, so you can recognize and address tension before it becomes a problem.