Common Questions
What Is Physical Therapy?
It consists of scientific, evidence based physical procedures used in the treatment of patients with a disability, disease, or injury, to achieve and maintain functional rehabilitation and to prevent malfunction or deformity. Treatments are designed to minimize residual physical disability, and to contribute to the patient’s comfort and well-being. Physical therapy is prescribed for patients with varied orthopedic, neurological, vascular, and respiratory conditions, which may be the result of congenital malfunction, disability acquired through disease or trauma, or inherited dysfunction.
Difference Between Physical Therapy & Other Therapy Methods
We all address the many different tissues in the body that may be contributing to your pain or dysfunction, but we may apply different techniques to accomplish our goals. For example, a physical therapist may opt not to manipulate the spine, but instead might use small muscle contractions by the patient to achieve the same results. We also involve active exercises as part of virtually every program, encouraging your body to help take care of the problem as it was designed to do. The primary philosophy of physical therapy involves facilitation of the natural healing process, while teaching each patient how to maintain these healing changes long term.
How Do I Know Physical Therapy Can Help Me?
As with any type of treatment, physical therapy may or may not be helpful in treating your particular problem. It may take a few visits to experience significant improvement from treatment. If your therapist does not feel physical therapy will be helpful, they will discuss this when covering treatment goals during your initial evaluation. In general, most patients can benefit greatly from physical therapy.
After My Evaulation, What Will My Treatment Consist Of?
Every patient has different needs but some common treatments may include:
- Manual therapy
- Therapeutic exercises
- Ultrasound or a type of electrical stimulation to decrease pain and inflammation