Being injured can be a real pain. Regardless of whether you are injured in a slip and fall accident, climbing down a mountain, riding a bicycle or simply playing with the kids, they all can end up hindering your ability to do the things you love. Oftentimes, people who are injured end up getting referred to a physical therapist to help them during the recovery process. Sadly, many people don't end up doing what they should due to having formed misconceptions about these professionals. Here are some of the common misconceptions debunked to help you gain a better understanding of the situation.

You can heal on your own.

Your body cannot be expected to heal on its own. It takes the right tools and movements to promote the healing process. With the help of a physical therapist, you can actually speed up the healing process. It also helps minimize your chance of scarring or getting injured again. Take a typical ankle sprain. If you do nothing with it, it could end up healing wrong and causing more problems for you down the road. The therapist will work to ensure your ankle is healing properly and make sure your joints, ligaments and tendons don't stiffen up on you to the point where you have additional problems. They will also advise you on proper exercises to do at home and when to wear your brace, use crutches, or perform other treatments.

Therapists can prescribe medications for you.

Some individuals believe that physical therapists can prescribe medication in addition to everything else they do. However, that isn't the case. They aren't ever going to give you a prescription to help you deal with your injuries. They are there to work your muscles and joints and help you regain movement quickly and easily. Since they don't have the same degrees as a doctor or healthcare provider, they aren't allowed to give you a prescription. They will simply refer you back to your provider for whatever you need.

The therapist is going to make the pain worse.

After doing the exercises with the physical therapist, you can expect to have a little soreness, but that goes away pretty quickly. It's normal and part of the healing process. Soreness is often a sign that your body is rebuilding and healing itself from your injuries. The main goal of a therapist is to help you recover, not amplify your injuries. The soreness you feel isn't going to be any worse than the pain from the injury itself; thus meaning that your pain levels will be the same if not better.

In knowing how much a physical therapist can do for you, there is no reason not to spend the time visiting with one and getting the treatment you need. Contact a therapist, like Advanced Physical Therapy, for more information.