#17: The Power of Proactive Physical Therapy | Improving Quality of Life & Performance

We all know that physical therapy is the place you go when you're injured or something has gone wrong with your body. But did you know that you can also go to physical therapy as a means to prevent injuries and issues from arising?

Just like going to your family physician for a check up, or your local optometrist for an annual eye exam, you can also go to physical therapy to get a "check up" on how your body is physically moving and performing.

As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And when it comes to maintaining overall physical health (particularly with your ability to move), one of the best ways to do so is to determine how you're moving and performing before any symptoms arise.

Pretty much everyone has various forms of movement dysfunction that they aren't aware of; these dysfunctions don't have to be symptomatic. The problem is, they tend to slowly build up until one day there's the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.

So, if you're interested in how going to get a physical therapy assessment—before an issue arises—can benefit you, then you're in the right spot. This episode breaks down the world around the life-enhancing benefits (and even sports performance benefits) we can obtain when we choose to make an investment into our physical movement abilities before issues even arise!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

0:00 - Intro

9:27 - The problem to solve & the big takeaway

12:28 - Movement Dysfunction is everywhere

19:44 - Healthcare vs sick care

12:38 - The traditional reactive mindset of physical therapy

22:58 - The proactive mindset of physical therapy

24:20 - The benefits of proactive physical therapy

29:34 - Prevention & performance for athletes

33:01 - Investments vs expenses with proactive approaches

36:10 - Using a multi-collaborative approach on your journey

40:33 - The road trip analogy

42:18 - How does proactive assessment work?

46:38 - Proactive assessment examples

49:26 - Examples of movement screening

53:26 - Gait analysis examples

57:35 - Finding a professional to help you be proactive

58:53 - Key takeaways

1:00:25 - Final thoughts & a small request