Physical therapy can help ease the pain that can come with summer activities

(WXYZ) - Many of us think of physical therapy as a treatment that follows surgery or a serious injury. But it can also be a useful tool for people who injury themselves in ordinary summertime activities.

Spending time exercising is nothing new for Nancy Thoenes. She was a gym teacher for 35 years. And when she retired last year she began an even more active lifestyle.

Nancy says she enjoys, “Golf, racquet sports such as badminton and I play a lot of pickleball, cycling, yoga, softball.”

But all that activity left Nancy with some serious aches and pains “I started having problems in my shoulders to where it was limiting my range of motion, flexibility, I was having pain in both shoulders.”

Her doctor offered a couple of options – surgery or physical therapy. Nancy wanted to do everything she could to avoid an operation.

Beaumont physical therapist, Michele Mazur told us, “People come to try some conservative methods to maybe avoid a surgical intervention.”

Michele and the other Physical Therapists stay especially busy during the summer months.

“In the summer we see more back injuries from golf or from gardening, sports like tennis and recreational activities because of the nice weather.”

Therapies like ultrasound can use heat to help reduce pain and break down scar tissue. And then its time for strengthening and education

Michele says that includes learning the proper body mechanics and the right way to do some regular routine activities, learning the right way can help avoid further injury.

Beaumont has a series of seminars coming up to give perspective patients more information.

“They’re going to learn what physical therapy is, what to expect, what they need to attend physical therapy and where to find some,” according the Michele who will be on the panel of one seminar.

Nancy has just completed her therapy and she’s back to her active life
“Now I have no pain, I have good flexibility; they worked on my strength, so I can be active and no problems.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE UPCOMING SEMINARS