Does physical therapy work if I was injured years ago?

People often say that time heals all, but that’s not always true. If you sustain an injury, and it’s left untreated, you may still feel the effects years later. But that’s where physical therapy comes in.

While many injuries heal on their own over time, others can cause symptoms years down the line, such as pain or a reduced range of motion. You may also still have issues that stem from an old injury if it wasn’t properly treated immediately afterward.

Read on to learn about injuries that can cause issues in the future if left untreated as well as ways that physical therapy works to alleviate the symptoms of a previous injury.

3 injuries that can cause future issues if not properly treated or left untreated

There are dozens of possible injuries that a person can sustain throughout their lifetime, and millions of people are injured every single year. In fact, more than 55 million people in the United States were injured back in 2020. 

And while some have short-term symptoms, others can cause issues that last long after the injury occurs.

Three injuries that can have long-lasting symptoms include:

1. Ankles strains or sprains — It’s common to strain or sprain your ankle due to a fall or landing awkwardly on your foot after a jump. Because your ankle supports your entire body weight as you walk or move, it’s important that the injury is properly treated to restore its complete function. If an ankle strain or sprain is left untreated, or isn’t treated correctly, the joint could become chronically unstable, possibly leading to degenerative ankle changes or arthritis.
2. Whiplash — If you were in a car accident, or you were injured while playing sports, there’s a chance that you got whiplash from your head’s rapid back-and-forth movement. Untreated whiplash can lead to serious long-term effects that diminish your neck’s mobility. The torn or overextended muscles and tendons can cause chronic pain and headaches, stiffness, vertigo, and vertebrae misalignment.
3. Rotator cuff injuries — Shoulder pain is common due to overuse of the joint and general wear and tear over time. But when you injure the muscles and tendons that hold your shoulder in place, called the rotator cuff, it’s important to get immediate and proper treatment. If a rotator cuff tear is left untreated, it can worsen and severely decrease your shoulder’s range of motion over time.

3 ways physical therapy works for issues from a previous injury

Most injuries aren’t a lost cause, even as time goes on. The chronic pain, stiffness and decreased mobility that comes from an injury can still be treated years later with the help of physical therapy.

There are several ways that physical therapy works to benefit issues that stem from an old injury to decrease pain and increase your range of motion.

A few ways that physical therapy can work to help with issues from a previous injury include: 

• Pain management — With many injuries, pain is one of the most prevalent symptoms that can affect your daily living. It’s also the one that can linger the longest. Physical therapy can offer several types of pain management techniques and treatments, including manual therapy, cupping and dry needling.
• Increased range of motion — Having a decreased range of motion due to an injury can prevent you from doing tasks like cleaning, exercising or playing sports. With hands-on therapy like strain counterstrain, joint mobilization and muscle energy techniques, a physical therapist can work to increase your range of motion, helping to restore your complete mobility.
• Prevention of future injury — Unfortunately, injuries aren’t always a one-time incident. It’s common for an injury to recur in the future if it’s not properly treated the first time. A physical therapist can help you prevent a recurring injury with strengthening and stretching exercises. They can also help you improve your balance, gait, and posture to reduce the risk of a fall or injury.

Alliance PTP can help find expert physical therapists near you to treat a previous injury

At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we’re proudly bringing together physical therapy practices across the country to help people get the high-quality PT they need. 

Want to see a physical therapist in person? We can put you in touch with an Alliance PTP partner that’s close to you and that can help you find physical therapy to address a previous injury.

Not keen on in-person PT sessions or not close to an Alliance PTP partner? No worries. We also offer effective and affordable virtual physical therapy through our Agile Virtual Physical Therapy platform. 

Come find help for your injury or chronic condition today!