What is Physical Therapy? | What Can Physical Therapy Do? | The Takeaway
Overview
Physical therapy (also known as Physiotherapy) diagnoses and treats injuries, illnesses, or functional limitations by non-medical or surgical means using exercise, stretching, and other non-invasive techniques.
Complementary therapies such as massage, hydrotherapy, and manipulative therapy are sometimes used in the practitioners’ vast arsenal of skills.
Physical therapists can diagnose conditions, develop individualized treatment/care plans and document your progress as your condition changes.
So, do you ever wonder when exactly you would benefit from the services of a physical therapist? Read on to find out more.
What is Physical Therapy?
Specifically, physical therapy offers holistic, drug-free treatments for various body ailments using stimuli such as heat, cold, electrical currents, ultrasound, and manual manipulation such as massage.
Exercise is used extensively in practice to improve strength, coordination, and mobility. Passive exercise is also used where the physical therapist moves the affected parts for the patient, such as when a patient has a locked joint. In addition to exercise, physical therapists may use the following types of treatments:
· Lymphatic drainage
· Electrotherapy, with a weak electric current being directed into the affected area
· Heat therapy, which can include warm baths, warm mud packs, heat lamps, or ultrasound
· Cold therapy, which can include tools such as cold packs or cold air
The goal in each case is to relieve pain, help the patient move better, and strengthen weakened muscles.
Physical therapy practitioners also have the task of educating their patients about what they can do to continue their path to recovery and improved function after the initial treatments are completed.
Only very rarely do physical therapists work with people directly for extended periods (such as in a hospital setting). The main task is to show you how to do the exercises yourself so that you may continue to do them until the treatment goal is reached.
What Can Physical Therapy Do?
Physical therapy can help people of all ages and walks of life. Many types of disorders are treated entirely by this form of rehabilitative care or alongside other medical interventions. Some common reasons for seeking these treatments are:[1]
· Back pain
· Wear-and-tear or injuries of the muscles, tendons, or joints
· Osteoarthritis
· Pelvic floor issues
· Rheumatoid arthritis
· Cardiovascular diseases
· Respiratory diseases
· Neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, stroke, or multiple sclerosis
· Developmental problems in children that affect muscles and bones
Generally, patients are referred to physical therapy via their primary health practitioner (usually a physician), although in some areas, one may access this mode of therapy directly.
Physical therapists can also specialize in pediatrics, sports medicine, neurology, orthopedics, oncology, and Women’s Health.
The Takeaway
If you have concerns with pain or function and would like to approach the intervention without using drugs, such as opioids, physical therapy might be right for you.
The practice can help improve painful conditions and mobility, and practitioners can also educate you about compensating for deteriorated function to prevent recurrence or further deterioration in the future.[2]
References:
- InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Physical therapy. 2020 Aug 27. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK561514/
- Nordin, M., & Campello, M. (1999). Physical therapy: exercises and the modalities: when, what, and Why?. Neurologic clinics, 17(1), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0733-8619(05)70115-8
