Optimizing Your Orthopedic Health in 2025
When routines become less active, maintaining movement can be harder for many. We all think about jumping back into the gym or beginning the latest diet to drop a few pounds. The one thing very few of us think about is optimizing your orthopedic health first.
What if I told you that most exercise regimens fell apart not due to time or lack of interest, but rather due to injury? Many people fail to realize that until you take a good hard look at what is happening orthopedically, you can’t possibly build muscle and sustain the miles you are going to pile up on the treadmill or the weight you’re going to be picking up.
Optimizing your orthopedic health this year isn’t as complex as it might seem. After all, this is what we at Amity PT specialize in! The problem actually lies in how we view taking care of ourselves orthopedically. If you had pain in your teeth with chewing food, you would be in that uncomfortable dentist’s chair so quickly it would make my head spin.
On the other hand, most people will experience pain in their lower back, neck, rotator cuff, or knees and will push off treatment for weeks or even months. Why do we allow ourselves to wait so long to be seen? The answer lies more with how we perceive orthopedic pain. I can still hear my grandmother telling me this now: I’ll just rest it until it gets better. And therein my friends, is the inherent problem. We have been conditioned to assume that a tweak, a strain, or a spasm will just go away on their own. While some will, most won’t.
But why are we so willing to lay in crippling orthopedic pain but rush to the dentist for tooth pain? Here are 5 truths about pain:
- We typically believe it will get better on its own. Most people truly believe that if we just rest, orthopedic issues will improve on their own. While this may be true for some minor strains and sprains, most acute and chronic pain has a deeper underlying orthopedic root cause
- Movement matters. So often, our gut reaction to pain is to stop moving. However, lack of movement during critical times for healing leaves us feeling stiff, restricted, and unable to create control of our injured area
- You can get physical therapy without needing to see your doctor first. All 50 states across the USA have direct access for physical therapy (the ability to see your PT of choice first). There is no need to wait for your doctor to see you first, nor do you need to get an X-ray prior to evaluation.
- X-rays and MRI’s are only a snapshot in time. Frequently when looking at imaging, findings such as arthritis, cartilage damage, or bulging discs will be found. Even more often, they will be blamed for your pain. While these issues may be accountable for some of your symptoms, be careful to not ignore trigger points, soft tissue/muscle strain, and mobility concerns as the root of your pain. An image will not tell you all of this.
- Pain is just a signal. Now, let’s not be mistaken, sometimes that signal can be a low hum, while other times it can be an air raid siren. But, at its core, pain is a signal telling our body something is wrong. Maybe that should be your wake-up call that you need to look deeper into why it’s alerting you.
So what do we do? How do we correct this and optimize our health in 2025? The first step is changing the way we approach our health. Be proactive with the proper set of home or gym exercises that are right for you. Try to get up and move frequently throughout the day. Research continues to show the benefits of frequent change of position on our body. It has been shown that standing throughout the day for greater than 3 hours can have beneficial effects on osteoporosis, spinal dysfunction, and general muscle strength.
One of the most important missing links is understanding how and why your body moves the way it does. Welcome in the Amity PT Orthopedic Screen. This if a formal evaluation of your whole body’s movement. By thoroughly assessing what your body does in specific movements, we can weed out localized and global movement and strength issues. Once we understand where the problems are coming from, our team of therapists can prescribe the optimal exercises and stretches to allow you to function at your peak performance.
The best part is, this sort of evaluation is covered by insurance. An Orthopedic Screen benefits amateur and elite athletes as well as those of us seeking to enjoy our daily activities. Don’t wait until the ticking time bomb causes you to be laid up in pain. Lets get ahead of problems before they start and make 2025 the year you optimize your health and potential. And remember, there is no need for a physician referral first!
<span class="fineprint">Kyle Branday is a licensed Physical Therapist and supervisor of Amity Physical Therapy in Woodbridge, CT. He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he earned his Master’s degree in Physical Therapy. In addition, Kyle is Level 2 Certified by the Institute of Advanced Musculoskeletal Treatment for Dry Needling. Kyle enjoys treating patients with a wide range of orthopedic and neurological conditions.He can be reached for an evaluation at 203.389.4593 or visit amitypt.com.</span>
This is an opinion not necessarily endorsed by the Woodbridge Town News.
