Type 2 diabetes can be difficult to manage by yourself.
It’s a chronic condition that affects almost every aspect of your day-to-day life.
It can reduce your energy and make it harder to stay active.
Fortunately, however, medical treatments have come a long way in managing this diagnosis.
Insulin therapy can help you live a long, healthy life in spite of type 2 diabetes.
But there’s more to it than that.
Physical therapy can help you lower your blood glucose levels at any stage of your condition by getting you moving, safely.
At Mobility Health Physical Therapy, we’re a physical therapy clinic that specializes in the management of chronic conditions.
If you or a loved one has type 2 diabetes, we can help.
In this article, we take a closer look at type 2 diabetes and how physical therapy can help.
What Is Type 2 Diabetes?
Diabetes is a diagnosis characterized by having high levels of sugar, or glucose, in your blood.
The sugar accumulates in your blood because either your body is not producing enough insulin, or because your muscle, fat, or liver cells are not reacting normally to the insulin in your body.
Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas which allows glucose to enter your cells.
This is what provides energy for your body.
High blood sugar levels can cause significant health challenges and is also called hyperglycemia.
The different types of diabetes correlate to the reason your body has insulin challenges.
For example, type 1 diabetes most often develops in children and young adults as an autoimmune disorder.
This means that your body’s immune system attacks your insulin producing cells in your pancreas.
Type 2 diabetes can develop at any age and occurs after your body first develops insulin resistance.
What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes occurs after your body develops insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is when your body no longer uses the insulin hormone in your blood efficiently.
The result is that you need more and more insulin in your blood to move the glucose into your body’s cells.
Creating higher levels of insulin puts a strain on your pancreas, and damages it over time.
If this continues without treatment, your pancreas will stop being able to create any insulin for your body.
This is when it is considered type 2 diabetes.
There are a lot of different factors that may increase your risk of insulin resistance.
Some common ones include:
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Age
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Fatty liver disease
- Family history
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Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
Some common symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
- Lack of energy
- Extreme thirst
- Persistent hunger
- Frequent urination
- Pain or numbness in your hands or feet
- Blurry vision
- Mental health challenges
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But it’s important to remember that type 2 diabetes often develops slowly with symptoms starting off mild before growing progressively more severe.
You can also have slow healing wounds, high blood pressure, frequent infections and unexplained weight loss.
These are more often associated after years with the condition.
How Physical Therapy Can Help With Type 2 Diabetes
The primary treatment for type 2 diabetes is insulin therapy.
This is administered by your primary care provider, or perhaps an endocrinologist.
Your primary care provider is your first point of contact, regardless.
But there’s more you can do to manage your type 2 diabetes than just insulin.
Physical therapy can help to create a tailored exercise treatment plan designed to get you moving and exercising safely.
When it comes to specialties, ours is right in our name — Mobility Health Physical Therapy.
We’re all about using physical therapy for limited mobility to get you moving freely.
Your physical therapist will first conduct a thorough evaluation that includes records of your blood glucose levels, as well as skin wounds, in order to create your treatment plan.
As part of this evaluation, they will also assess your strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, and skin sensation, especially in your feet.
Movement and exercise will help to lower your blood sugar levels and circulation, which also helps with any skin conditions caused by diabetes.
Now, let’s look at some ways your physical therapist can help.
1. Improve Movement
The goal of your treatment plan will be to get you moving, safely.
Your physical therapist will pick exercises, activities, and treatments to help restore your range of motion.
This can include both passive and active therapies like manual joint therapy or take home stretches.
2. Increase Strength
Building strength is an important part of keeping fit and moving safely.
This also helps to reduce your blood sugar levels.
Your physical therapist will create strength building exercises as part of your treatment plan to help you develop your physical strength.
3. Improve Your Flexibility
Flexibility helps both your strength and movement, which is why it will be incorporated into your treatment plan.
It can be hard to move if your muscles are tight, which can create added pressure on your joints and ligaments.
Your physical therapist will help you improve your flexibility.
4. Increase Your Endurance
Your physical therapist will work with you to improve your endurance so that you can move and exercise for progressively longer periods of time.
This can be a challenge if your diabetes is depleting your energy.
However, with help you can regain the energy to return to your daily activities.
5. Improve Balance And Walking
As you age, the ability to avoid falls becomes an important indicator of your longevity.
You need to be able to regain your sense of balance in order to prevent a fall.
Your physical therapist can work with you to improve this so that you can move through your day-to-day with ease.
This includes helping you walk better with improved technique, by recommending a change in footwear or if necessary, teaching you how to use a cane or walker.
6. Manage Pain
If you experience pain as part of your chronic diabetes, then your physical therapist can help by adding into your treatment plan safe exercises designed to control and reduce pain.
They will also teach you how to move and exercise correctly while protecting sensitive or painful areas.
This is particularly helpful if you experience diabetic nerve pain while moving.
Book Your Appointment With Our Physical Therapy Clinic Today
Managing type 2 diabetes is about more than just medication — it’s about movement, mindset, and creating a lifestyle that supports your health.
Physical therapy can play a key role in helping you stay active, reduce blood sugar levels, and maintain your independence.
At Mobility Health Physical Therapy, we understand the challenges of living with a chronic condition, and our physical therapy team is here to help you every step of the way.
With a customized treatment plan and expert guidance, you can improve your strength, balance, and endurance safely.
Ready to move forward with confidence?
Book your appointment with Mobility Health PT today.
