What does a physical therapist do?
Physical therapists help people with orthopedic conditions such as low back pain or osteoporosis; joint and soft tissue injuries such as fractures and dislocations; neurological conditions such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease; workplace injuries including repetitive stress disorders and sports injuries. The individual “hands on” approach used at PT Associates is valued by our patients. – Therapuetic exercise and functional training are the cornerstones of physical therapist’s treatment. Physical therapists also work with clients to prevent loss of mobility by developing fitness and wellness oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles. • What will happen at my first appointment? Your physical therapist will do a thorough evaluation and examination of your condition. Range of motion, strength, pain, functional capacity and work status will all be evaluated. Based on these findings an individualized treatment plant will be established. This usually included “hands on” man
Physical therapy places great emphasis on the evaluation process. Your physical therapist will take the time to talk with you and perform a thorough physical evaluation to identify the dysfunction that causes your pain. Your physical therapist will plan a treatment regimen suited to your individual problem and begin working to restore proper motion and ease discomfort. Treatment may include: heat, cold, massage, traction, electrical stimulation, laser treatment, manual therapy, joint mobilization, exercise for stretching or strengthening, cardiovascular endurance enhancement, balance and coordination exercises, gait training, and skills training to improve activities of daily living and restore function. Your physical therapist will also help you continue therapy on your own with a home program designed to fit your needs. The goal of physical therapy is to return you to normal life as soon as possible with the skills you need to prevent re-injury.
Physical therapists are educated in understanding the interaction of body parts and they use that knowledge to evaluate and diagnose a patient’s therapy needs and then develop a plan of action accordingly. Focusing on overall fitness, a PT will work with a wide range of patients, from accident victims to people with limiting or disabling conditions, and will help them restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and limit or prevent permanent physical disability. A PT will first examine a patient’s medical history and then follow up with a series of tests that may include strength, range of motion, motor function, balance and coordination, posture, respiration, and muscle performance. They then develop treatment plans and implement those plans either by themselves or with the assistance of physical therapist assistants (PTAs). The job can often be physically demanding because PTs often have to stoop, kneel, crouch, lift, and/or stand for long periods.
Physical therapists are experts trained in the evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal dysfunction. They are trained specifically to improve movement and function, relieve pain, and expand movement potential. Physical therapy is often the treatment of choice in situations where pain impairs function, in recovering from an injury or surgery, and in recovering from a disease process or illness. Physical therapists also teach adaptive and physical coping skills in dealing with impaired function from a disease, injury or illness.
A physical therapist is a professional healthcare provider who tries to meet an individual’s health needs and wants via communication with other healthcare specialists and the use of exercise, education, and various therapeutic modalities. This can include anything from teaching patients to walk again after an injury, or helping an athlete to improve his speed, strength, or agility on the playing field. Physical therapists perform many different functions in order to optimize a patient’s recovery. For those patients with health problems resulting from injury or disease, the physical therapist assists in the rehabilitation process to reduce the patient’s pain, and increase the patient’s strength, endurance, and stability. In addition to treatments given in the office the physical therapist must also work hand in hand with the patient to help develop a personal home therapy program for when they are no longer in the therapists care. This is done to ensure that the healing process continu
