Last Updated on July 22, 2024 by Nasir Hanif
Also known as “PT”, physical therapy can help healthcare professionals to assess and treat physical issues. Physical therapists can work to treat issues that have been caused by disabilities, injuries, or any other health condition.
It is the job of a physical therapist to improve someone’s quality of life and their range of movements. This can help to prevent further issues.
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What you Should Expect
If you were to see a physical therapist for the first time, they could:
- Physically examine you so that they can evaluate your movements, how flexible you are, and assess your joint and muscle motion.
- Diagnose you and/or come up with a care plan that you can use on a short-term or long-term basis.
- Carry out treatments and interventions
- Recommend a range of treatments and exercises that you could do at home.
Please note, everyone will need to receive a personalized treatment plan. What may work for one person’s broken arm, for example, may not work for another person’s broken arm. It all depends on the break and how the person is responding to treatment.
Physical Therapy and Common Conditions
There is a wide range of treatments that physical therapy can help with. Some of these conditions include:
- Musculoskeletal issues: This can include rotator cuff injuries, back pain, and some joint disorders.
- Cardiopulmonary concerns: This includes Cystic Fibrosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and heart failure.
- Pediatric conditions: Conditions such as Muscular Dystrophy and Cerebral Palsy may benefit from physical therapy.
- Skin conditions: Diabetic ulcers, wound care, and burns are just some of the conditions that physical therapists can work with.
- Sports injuries: Tennis elbow, sprained ankles, and other sports injuries can be treated by a physical therapist.
Please note, the above list is not exhaustive.
The Benefits of Physical Therapy
Some of the benefits of physical therapy include: Faster recovery, improved balance and the reduced likelihood of falls, recovery from strokes, trauma, paralysis, or injury. Physical therapy can also help people to avoid surgery and even reduce the need for the patient to take painkillers. As you can see, physical therapy can do a lot, much more than you may have realized.
The Different Types of Physical Therapy
There are many different types of physical therapy available. Orthopedic PT, for example, treats musculoskeletal injuries, neurological PT treats people who have Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions. If you have a wound, you may receive wound care therapy.
There are many different types of physical therapy, ensuring that many people receive the help and care that they need.
If you think you may need physical therapy, please speak with your doctor. If you have a condition or injury that you’re struggling with, your doctor can assess whether physical therapy is right for you. If it is, you may be referred to a PT who can help you. Be sure that you do any exercises they recommend so that you recover quicker. With the right help and treatment, you too could recover sooner than you think.
