How Can Physical Therapy Help?
A physical therapist is a licensed and trained medical professional with experience in restoring physical function and promoting physical activity and proper operation. Physical therapy aims at easing pain and helps you move, function, and live better. Dr. Steven Ferrer is a physical therapist who is dedicated to helping patients feel their best.
What to expect
A physical therapist takes care of all phases of healing, from initial diagnosis through preventive and recovery stages. Physical therapy may support other treatments. A patient comes to a physical therapist expecting to:
Undergo a physical evaluation and exam, including health history and specific testing procedures, such as evaluation of movement, flexibility, posture, joint and muscle motion, and performance.
Receive physical therapy intervention and treatment based on the therapist’s evaluation and diagnosis.
Receive a clinical prognosis, care plan, diagnosis, and long and short term goals.
Patients train with a physical therapist in exercises that they can do at home to help them function more effectively.
Types of physical therapy
Orthopedic physical therapy. Orthopedic therapy treats musculoskeletal injuries involving bones, muscles, tendons, fascias, and ligaments. It is suitable for medical conditions such as sprains, fractures, bursitis, tendonitis, chronic medical problems, and recovery from orthopedic surgery. Patients may undergo treatment with manual therapy, mobility training, joint mobilizations, and other modalities.
Neurological physical therapy. Helps people with conditions such as brain surgery, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke. Treatment may aim to treat paralysis, increase limb responsiveness, and reverse muscle strength by reducing muscle atrophy.
Geriatric physical therapy. It helps older patients who have developed conditions that affect their biological function and mobility, including osteoporosis, arthritis, hip, joint replacement, incontinence, and balance disorders.
Pediatric physical therapy. It aims to diagnose, manage, and treat conditions that affect infants and children, including cerebral palsy, developmental delays, torticollis, spina bifida, and other conditions that impact the muscular system.
Apart from physical manipulation, physical therapy treatment may involve ultrasound to promote blood flow by heating the tendons, tissues, and muscles.
Benefits of physical therapy
Reduce or eliminate pain. Exercises and manual therapy methods such as joint and soft tissue mobilization or treatments such as taping, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation can help relieve pain and restore joint and muscle function to reduce pain. These therapies can also prevent pain from returning.
Avoid surgery. Physical therapy helps you heal from surgery or eliminate pain, therefore surgery is not required. Even if surgery is needed, you may benefit from pre-surgery physical therapy. If you go into surgery more robust and in better shape, you will recover faster.
Improve mobility. If you’re having trouble walking, standing, or moving, physical therapy can help. Strengthening and stretching exercises help restore your ability to move. Physical therapists properly fit individuals with crutches, cane, or other assistive devices and assess orthotic prescriptions.
Improve your balance and prevent falls. When you start physical therapy, you will get screened for fall risk. If you are at high risks of falls, you are provided with exercises that carefully and safely challenge your balance to imitate real-life situations.
If you have pain and are looking for a medical center to diagnose and treat you with nonsurgical treatment options, visit Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine for a consultation. They have well trained physical therapists who help you deal with physical complications and pain.