The Use of Dumbbells in Physical Therapy

Dumbbells aren’t just used for bulking up the upper body. While strengthening your upper body through the use of dumbbells can help to reduce the risk of upper body-related injuries, many physical therapists utilize the use of dumbbells to help patients rehabilitate from injuries.

Why Dumbbells are Used in Physical Therapy

The use of dumbbells can help to strengthen the muscles in the arms, chest, back, shoulders, legs and abdomen. Following an injury, such as one that occurs in the workplace, while you were exercising or while you were playing sports, you may not be able to use a certain part of your body for some time until it heals. This can result in a loss of strength in that area. A physical therapist will often suggest certain exercises that make use of dumbbells to help regain strength.

For example, one of the most common workplace injuries is a rotary cuff injury. The rotary uses four specific muscles. Following such an injury, these muscles need to be addressed and strengthened to prevent further injuries from occurring.

How Dumbbells are Used in Physical Therapy

A good physical therapist will begin by determining the extent of your injury and what you can and can’t do. The last thing they will want you to do is to re-injure yourself because you were using dumbbells that were too heavy. Once they’ve determined what kind of exercises you can safely do, they will start you out on the lowest weight dumbbell and teach you the exercises that you’ll need to do, taking care to make sure that you learn how to use proper form. Improper form can be almost as risky as using dumbbells that are too heavy, after all.

As you do your exercises, the physical therapist will keep track of your progress and increase the weights to help you continue to strengthen your muscles. A physical therapist may suggest that you perform these exercises at home. They will be able to recommend a high-quality set of dumbbells that you can get.

Dumbbells are often used in physical therapy to help with rehabilitation, but they should be used regularly as a way to prevent injuries as well. If you have experienced an injury that has affected your body’s mobility or function, then you should consider getting physical therapy. To schedule an appointment for physical therapy, contact us at Florida Spine in Vero Beach today.