Many people these days have become more conscious of their health. A lot of folks now pay more attention to their mental health especially because of the isolation and anxiety brought about by the pandemic. People are now more attuned to their spiritual side, which yields them more peace and tranquility in life.
It is thus why treatments nowadays are designed to be holistic. Holistic wellness means considering various aspects of health when tailoring a health plan. Health no longer just refers to the physical, but it can also refer to mental, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual.
A well-rounded wellness plan takes into consideration to treat a physical illness or injury and includes factors such as diet and lifestyle. It is acknowledged that some physical illnesses are caused by unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, or harmful habits. To cure a present disease, one may need to modify their lifestyle and change their habits, such as eating healthy, stopping smoking or excessive alcohol intake, and exercising more.
Additionally, having a good state of mental and psychological health can also aid in faster recovery. A positive attitude and hopeful outlook trigger the part of the brain to produce the “happy” hormones that are essential for well-being. It is evident how these various aspects of health and wellness are directly interconnected with and affects each other.
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has placed initiatives to support physical therapy practitioners into injecting various wellness aspects into their practice. PTs are encouraged to promote health and well-being to their patients. They therefore need to be competent in assessing a patient’s medical history and present habits, and make the proper recommendations in lifestyle modifications.
PTs are also urged to understand the epidemiology of illnesses, diseases, and injuries. They should subsequently inform and educate patients on several risk factors that can exacerbate the incidence of illnesses or injury. Hence, in order to bring about improvement on one’s health, the patient has to make the necessary adjustments and changes.
There are five key behaviors that will aid to promote health and wellness: taking on exercises that will stimulate physical activity, managing weight and eating nutritious food, stopping smoking, getting enough sleep, and managing negative stress. An assessment of a patient’s current state using these health behavioral guides will provide critical insight to the needed counselling and recommendations.
Thus, as part of a holistic treatment of physical therapy, physical therapists are encouraged to incorporate these different health aspects into the plan. It is important to start by knowing what a patient wants and needs. Learning about the patient’s health history, including their mental and psychological wellness, will provide critical information to design the treatment program. Customizing a patient’s wellness plan will help enable an effective rehabilitation and recovery.
Since a physical therapist starts the treatment and stays with a certain patient throughout the treatment journey, it is important to establish rapport to enable follow through on the holistic treatment program. The PT has to ensure that the recommended plans related to the lifestyle modification are closely followed to complement the physical therapy program. By doing so, a fast and effective recovery is assured.
Arise Physical Therapy can provide the assessment and recommendations for a holistic wellness program. You can reach out to them by sending them a message today.