Whether your loved one is recovering from an injury or experiencing mobility problems as they age, physical therapy is essential to their elderly care. A trained physical therapist will take them through a series of exercises targeted toward their injuries and health conditions, as well as assign ones to do at home that are tailored to their needs. This approach has a wide range of health benefits discussed in greater detail below.

Why Participate in Physical Therapy as a Senior?

1. Improve Movement & Balance

Exercising takes the body through its full range of motion, stretching muscles, limbering up joints, and increasing flexibility over the course of repeated treatments. This helps seniors develop a greater range of motion and relieves stiffness in the joints. It also promotes balance by encouraging seniors to practice and increasing body awareness. Greater flexibility and balance make it much less likely that your loved one will be injured during daily activities.

2. Promote Healing & Pain Relief

Physical therapy and exercise increase blood flow to the muscles. This helps speed up the body's natural healing process in those areas so that it recovers faster from injury and illness. Between heightened healing and reducing stiffness in the muscles and joints, this therapy also helps lessen and even eliminate aches and pains.

3. Slow Cognitive Decline

Without stimulation, the mind deteriorates in old age. Having conversations with other people and attempting challenging tasks provides mental stimulation that slows this process. In fact, the American Physical Therapy Association promotes physical therapy as a treatment to improve the quality of life for seniors with dementia for this reason.

If your loved one in Le Flore County needs physical therapy, choose Advantage Home Health & Hospice. Based in Poteau, OK, their skilled caregivers have earned this agency a four-star rating with Certified Medicare/Medicaid Services. They also offer in-home and hospice care services, including physical therapy. To get started, view a list of services on their website or call (918) 647-0653.