What is Physical Therapy?
Physiotherapy (also known as physical therapy) is a health profession concerned with the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of disease and disability through physical means. It is based upon principles of medical science, and is generally held to be within the sphere of conventional (rather than alternative) medicine.
Physical therapy is the treatment of musculoskeletal and neurological injuries to promote a return to function and independent living. Physical therapy incorporates both exercise and functional training. Exercise restores motion and strength while functional training facilitates a return to daily activities, work, or sport.
Physical Therapy is a health profession that combines the “science of healing and the art of caring” to treat movement dysfunctions. A physical therapist performs a comprehensive analysis of movement, which includes identifying joints dysfunction, tissue limitations, muscular imbalances and structural pathologies. In order to assist patients, physical therapists use a variety of methods to create changes in tissue and movement patterns to ultimately restore function. Treatment consists of skilled manual therapy (hands on) with therapeutic exercise that simulates daily movements to rehabilitate the body, restoring maximal mobility and optimal mechanical motion, as well as provide preventative care.
“Physical therapists are good people to know. They’re educated in understanding the interaction of all your body parts. Their hands-on approach begins with examination, diagnosis, and treatment of the immediate problem. Then they teach you how to take care of yourself by showing you how to do exercises and how to use your body properly to gain strength and mobility and prevent recurring injury. You’ll find them advising on proper posture and body motion in the work place, treating injuries, consulting on fitness, and administering physical therapy in the home. Today physical therapists provide help for every part of the body to everyone from infants to the elderly — more than 1 million people every day!
For people with health problems resulting from injury or disease, the physical therapist assists in the recovery process to make them stronger, relieve their pain, and help them to regain use of an affected limb or to relearn such activities of daily living as walking, dressing, or bathing. Because recovery does not end for patients as soon as they are out of the physical therapist’s direct care, physical therapists must teach patients and their families what to do so that healing continues through self-care at home. Physical therapists also seek to keep people well and safe from injury. They do this by teaching the importance of fitness and showing people how to avoid hurting their bodies at work or play. By designing and supervising individualized conditioning programs, physical therapists promote optimal physical performance and help health-conscious people to increase their overall fitness level and muscular strength and endurance.
