What's a Movement Check-Up And Why Should I Get One?

Change happens through movement, so make sure you are moving right.

Here's a question whether you are active or not, are you constantly tired? Do you experience chronic pain or headaches? A movement checkup is when you make a visit to see a physcal therapist to make sure your anatomical structure is functioning like its supposed to. Today, im going to explain why it's absolutely a non-negotiable to visit your physical therapist. Whether you are having pain or not, seeing a professional is a good idea to prevent any nasty problems you may have in the future. It's all about prevention!

Physical Therapy (PT) Is A Non-Negotiable, Here's Why:

Your body experiences ware and tear throughout the day leaving you feeling exhausted and tense by the end of it. Yes, you are busy and it's tough to find the time to even go to the dentist, let alone a physical therapist. For some reason, putting off our neck and back pain is too easy and it shouldnt be. Speaking of the dentist, the guidelines for them is a cleaning every 6 months! For most of us, we dread the dentist because for some reason, there is always a problem. *cough, floss better, cough.* Our bodies are sensitive to the load of work we apply to it. That's why, every 6 months we should also be getting our spine, neck, back, shoulders and feet looked at. You and I both know, it's best not to wait around until something bad happens.

3 Non-Negotiables For Why A PT Check-Up Is Vital To Your Well-Being

1) Postural Alignment and Spine Health - Your spine is your body's central structure that enables you to walk, run, sit, stretch and live! However, sitting at a desk or doing repetitive motions cause the spine to become misaligned or stiff. Imbalances and diseases can also impact your spinal health. Muscular imbalance can pull at your spine creating misalignment or even bulging discs to occur. Getting your posture and alignment checked could be key in preventing chronic pain in your back, neck, shoulders, hips, feet and even prevent headaches. Your brain and your spine are the networks that work together to ensure proper functioning throughout your body. So a checkup is a must to keep you feeling great everyday.

2) Muscle Tension and Flexibility - Flexion and extension of your hips and knees allows you to do daily activities without complaint. However, when your muscles get really tight, your daily movements start to become restricted causing discomfort and pain. Chronic tightness is a sign that something is going on in your body and a tension release is in order! Poor posture, immobility, overuse, injury and even anxiety and depression can be a source of your tension and lack of flexibility. A physical therapist can release that tension and help you feel free in your movement and your mind.

3) Balance and Proprioception - As humans we are susceptible to accidents, like falls or injuries. Getting a balance and gait test can influence your exercise regiment moving forward. You will be better informed on how to improve your core strength, proprioception and posture. Yes, I said posture again. That's because our posture plays such a huge role in our day-day wellness. Then there is proprioception, something that is often overlooked. Proprioception is your ability to be self-aware of how your body is moving through space. Learning how to strengthen your proprioception with a physical therapist will improve your sensory located within your skin tissues, joints and muscles as well as your clumsiness!

To Sum Up...See A Movement Specialist

As you see, there are LOTS and I mean LOTS of reasons to speak with a movement specialist or a physical therapist. If you see someone for your eyes, or your hearing or your lungs, you can fit in one more doctor. This is all a part of maintaining good self-care habits. Your physical body is an interconnected system, when one thing isn't working properly, surrounding networks start to act up or shut down. Let's practice prevention the best we can and keep feeling and living great everyday.