Blood has the crazy task of moving throughout the body continuously, but then quickly stops when you experience a cut or injury. This healthy and sometimes lifesaving stoppage of blood is called a blood clot. Most of the time when we hear the term blood clot, we immediately think it can be a bad thing. Which is true when blood clots are formed when they are not needed. Blood clots can form and get stuck in certain parts of the body causing a heart attack, stroke, or other serious medical conditions. Luckily for us, there are various ways to deal with blood clots medically, including physical therapy.
Physical therapy is a great practice that helps patients recover from an injury, surgery, stroke, or other medical issues. When it comes to blood clots, physical therapy can not only identify signs of a potential blood clot, but it can also help patients recover from a blood clot. Blood clots can happen due to a various number of factors. It can most likely happen shortly after injury or a surgical procedure. In fact, the first 28 days after a surgery is when a patient can be at their most vulnerable. Therefore, we tend to see most patients who are discharged from the hospital seek a physical therapist a couple times a week. Depending on what surgical procedure was done, the physical therapist will routinely check for signs and symptoms of blood clots in certain areas of the body.
Blood clots are not just created post surgery or injury. There are a variety of factors that can create it, including obesity, diabetes, smoking, or even moving constantly in certain way over time. There are also people at higher risk of a blood clot such as cancer patients. If a physical therapist witnesses any symptoms of a blood clot, they might use a risk assessment tool to see if a blood clot is likely. This assessment tool looks at your risk factors and determines how likely you are to have a blood clot. If you are recovering from a surgery that removed a blood clot, your physical therapist will evaluate you individually and develop a plan of care. This plan might include breathing exercises or asking you to do certain movements to get the blood flowing. The plan’s overall goal is to help you recover faster and reduce the risk of you getting a recurring blood clot.
Blood clots can be a scary thing since they can lead to life threatening complications. If identified early and treated correctly, your physical therapist can help you manage you blood clot. If you think you have a blood clot, contact a medical professional immediately.
For more information on how physical therapy can help with blood clots, click here.
Article written by William Graves.