Physical Therapy

If you are like most people, you may have a vague idea of what physical therapy is, and why it is an important part of healthcare. What you may not know is that no matter what is going on in your life or with your health, physical therapy can most likely help! PT is a type of health care practice that focuses on improving the way you move, and everything that is involved in safely getting around throughout your day.

Physical therapy treatment ranges from carefully prescribed exercises to hands-on techniques specifically designed to target your mobility or functional impairment. It can also help with recovery from surgery, injury prevention, and fall prevention, among many other things!

A very common preconception is that physical therapy is for athletes, or for those recovering from orthopedic surgery. While PT is appropriate in both of these scenarios, it can also be useful in a variety of other situations.

When physical therapists graduate from their doctorate program, they are able to treat patients in any setting – they may treat patients suffering from a head injury, or going through chemotherapy for cancer, or babies learning to walk! Anytime someone is having trouble moving around, visiting a physical therapist is a good place to start.

Types Of Physical Therapy

After a physical therapist receives their doctorate degree, they may choose to specialize in a specific treatment area. This means that no matter what your problem is, there is likely a highly experienced specialist who can diagnose and treat it.

While most people equate physical therapy with exercise, the variety of treatment and interventions offered by physical therapists are much more diverse than that. Manual physical therapists may be able to relieve your pain with just a few quick motions, while in other cases your PT may merely make recommendations that change your life for the better.

• Orthopedic physical therapy focuses on bones, muscles, ligaments and joints. If you have broken a bone, torn a muscle or ligament, or undergone a total joint replacement, orthopedic physical therapy is the right place for you.
• Neurologic physical therapy addresses impairments caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and anything else that affects the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
• Cardiopulmonary physical therapy is a great option for individuals experiencing congestive heart failure, heart attack, COPD, or any other condition that affects the heart, arteries, veins, or lungs.
• Pelvic floor physical therapy can help with incontinence, prolapse, and sexual dysfunction and pain.
• Pediatric physical therapy helps children with developmental and congenital conditions that affect their growth and acquisition of skills.