REPOST: Fit after 50: Physical therapists can help

Karen Wik, guest columnist to the Citizen Times, writes about how physical therapy could enhance efforts to stay fit in old age.

Image source: citizen-times.com

U.S. Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres famously stated, “Never put an age limit on your dreams.”

During this past summer, Diana Nyad swam 103 miles from Cuba to Florida at age 64.

Every year, many men and women age 50 and older participate in every imaginable team sport and physical activity, running marathons and participating in Iron Man competitions.

We draw inspiration from these individuals, in our communities and in the international news, because they show us what is possible. They create hope that, with care and dedication, we can all continue to live out our dreams later in life.

In honor of this being National Physical Therapy Month, the American Physical Therapy Association is encouraging us to stay “Fit After 50.” Whether your dreams are to hike the Appalachian Trail, avoid a hip replacement surgery or spend a pain-free day playing with your grandchildren, a local physical therapist can help you shape and meet those goals.

Although fitness and activity goals vary, physical therapists are highly trained to design safe, effective treatment plans for a wide spectrum of patients. Physical therapists address chronic or acute back pain, perhaps caused by hours spent perfecting a golf swing or years on the tennis court, by assessing musculoskeletal imbalances.

An individualized treatment plan that includes manual therapy, strengthening or other interventions aim to eliminate the painful symptoms and prevent their reoccurrence.

Sports-specific strength, conditioning and flexibility programs can be custom-designed for patients with dreams of running their first marathons. Some individuals simply dream of regaining fundamental skills like walking to and from the mailbox without pain.

Physical therapists treat the whole person by integrating special tests for balance, range of motion, cardiovascular and neurological functions, muscle strength and joint mobility in order to set realistic goals for individuals recovering from trauma or disease.

Movement restrictions don’t always have to be roadblocks or create fear about being more active.

The aging process involves marked physiological changes, but chronic pain or risk of injury does not need to go hand in hand with being an active adult. Clinical research-based practices help physical therapists stay current and effective in the arenas of pain management and injury prevention.

If you feel sidelined from achieving your goals because of overuse injuries, or have been out of the game for a while and have fears about how your body will respond to new challenges, a local physical therapist can help.


So this month stop defining your abilities by your age — after all, it’s just a number — and start dreaming big.

 A former investment banker, Doug Sparks started Doctors Physical Therapy, a company that focuses on helping doctors, hospitals, and health practices find and contract independent physical therapists.  Visit this Twitter page for more updates on physical therapy.