The healing effects of physical therapy go well beyond addressing physical conditions and ailments. Physical therapy can help boost mood and self-esteem, improve sleep and quality of life, provide social support, and promote overall physical and mental wellbeing.
In short, physical therapy helps strengthen the mind-body connection.
What is the mind-body connection?
You may notice that your thoughts and feelings often affect how you feel physically. Being nervous about a job interview can bring about a stomach ache. Anger at a spouse or boss can raise your blood pressure. Prolonged sadness or grief can make you more vulnerable to illness.
The reverse is also true. Chronic pain, because it may limit your activities and social life, can make you feel isolated and depressed. Not getting enough sleep can affect your mental and intellectual functioning. Serious illness can lead to worries about finances, your career, and the effects of your condition on your family.
This mind-body relationship means that a total approach to wellness involves taking care of your mental, emotional health, and physical health.
What can improve the mind-body connection?
Physical therapy is one of many different kinds of interventions and exercises that benefit the mind and body and improve communication between the two.
Other mind-body therapies that have the potential to reduce stress include:
- Tai chi
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Massage
- Reiki
- Acupuncture
- Mindfulness
Since stress has such harmful effects on health, this is one of many reasons to look more closely at these approaches.
The role of physical therapy in the mind-body connection
Most people participate in physical therapy as a way to reduce pain, improve mobility, and heal from injury or surgery. However, there are subtle ways in which physical therapy also helps emotional wellbeing.
- Social support. When you have a physical therapy session, there are likely others around you who are doing the same exercises, perhaps for the same reasons. The sense of “we’re all in this together” can make you feel less isolated. You can even derive inspiration by learning from the experiences of others who are on similar healing journeys.
- Professional support. Working with an experienced and skilled physical therapist (PT) can make you more comfortable trying new exercises or approaching familiar ones in new ways. Having a PT available to answer questions about the recovery process and help you through challenges can be reassuring. Your PT also helps you set health goals, which can put you more in control of your recovery and reduce any anxieties.
- Self-esteem building. Participating in exercise can boost your confidence and help you focus on your strengths and feel more comfortable about your body rather than dwelling on what’s “wrong” with you.
- Building physical and emotional resilience. Doing exercises that are right for your body and your needs has a powerful mental component. As you build strength, improve balance and mobility, and experience less pain, you may start to feel more positive, confident, and energized – all of which provide encouragement to continue and to feel even better.
Should you seek physical therapy for mind-body healing?
When you’re ready to find out more about the benefits of physical therapy, call Fyzical Therapy and Balance Center of Lanham for a free evaluation. Learn about how physical therapy can improve your mental and emotional wellbeing while addressing physical ailments, pain, and injuries. We look forward to working with you and getting you back to feeling like yourself! Get in touch today.