The Positive And Negative Effects Of Physical Therapy

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Having an injury can be terrifying especially if the severity of the injury is unknown.
On occasion, injuries can lead to surgery but more often than not a physical therapist is referred. At a physical therapy clinic, patients are examined and rehabilitation plans are formed. Depending on the physical therapist and the severity of the injury. The rehabilitation plans may include modalities such as dry needling, rest ice compression elevation (RICE), and self-myofascial techniques. These treatment techniques have positive and negative studies that affect the care plan of every patient. Rest, ice, compression, elevation is often known as RICE has been a “go to” modality for centuries. As technology is advancing the quality of this old-school …show more content…

Studies are showing that “cold application can be used before therapeutic exercise programs without interfering with normal sensory perception and can be used before strenuous exercise without altering agility” (Bekerom, Struijs, Blankevoort, Welling, Dijk, Kerkhoffs 2012). By using ice in treatment plans it has been concluded: “that cryotherapy positively affected [patients] return to work and sports” (Bekerom, Struijs, Blankevoort, Welling, Dijk, Kerkhoffs 2012 ). Ice is one of the many treatment techniques that are currently being debated in the medical …show more content…

These risks include “injury to blood vessels, nerves, muscles, bones, and internal organs as well as infection and cross infection” (Hawkins). The trigger points that are used in dry needling have been claimed to be acupuncture points and physical therapists who use “Trigger-point dry needling is far outside the scope of their education, training, experience, expertise, and license” (Hawkins). By practicing this method physical therapists run the risk of losing their license. Even professional athletes have been injured from dry needling “a former Olympic athlete… suffered a punctured left lung resulting from incorrect direction, angle, and/or depth of insertion of an acupuncture needle by a massage therapist who lacked the education and training of licensed physicians or acupuncturists” (Hawkins). Not only can dry needling can cause a therapist to lose their license, it can cause extreme damage to anyone if performed

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