Physical therapy is a medical treatment used to help people restore functional movements, such as moving different body parts, standing, and walking. It is effective as a treatment for various medical conditions and injuries resulting in pain, limited mobility, and movement dysfunction.
People can benefit from physical therapy for both corrective and preventive situations. They can correct functional movement imbalances in people with specific injuries and medical conditions. A physical therapist also implements techniques to prevent injuries and improve performance.
What do physical therapy professionals do?
As we explained above, a pediatric physical therapist or an adult physical therapist knows how a body moves. They also know how different body systems integrate with movements, such as the cardiovascular, endocrine, and neurological systems.
Physical therapists will most likely evaluate several parts of your body, even if you are feeling localized pain. For instance, you may be experiencing knee pain, but the PT will also look at your ankle and hip.
Who can benefit from physical therapy?
Many people can benefit from physical therapy. These professionals help take care of patients in different phases of healing, from the initial diagnosis to restorative and preventive stages of recovery.
Physical therapists' training allows them to conduct a physical exam and evaluate a person's movement, flexibility, muscles, joints, performance, and more. They will help the patient with stretching and strengthening exercises in person and could also give them self-management recommendations that they can do at home.
Apart from physical manipulation, a physical therapist may also use:
- Iontophoresis
- Electrical stimulation (e-stim)
- Heat, moist heat, and cold therapy
- Light therapy
Moreover, they can also help people suffering from the following conditions:
- Cardiopulmonary conditions
- Hand conditions
- Neurological conditions
- Pediatric physical therapy for children
- Sports-related injuries
- Female health and pelvic floor dysfunction
You will also find different types of physical therapy. Here are the most common ones:
- Orthopedic physical therapy: Helps treat musculoskeletal injuries.
- Geriatric physical therapy: This therapy is for older adults whose mobility has been affected,
- Neurological physical therapy: For people with neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease.
- Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation: Treatment for people affected by cardiovascular conditions and surgical procedures.
- Wound care therapy: To help heal wounds by improving circulation.
- Vestibular therapy: Seeks to treat balance problems.
- Decongestive therapy: Therapy that helps drain accumulated fluids in patients with lymphedema or other conditions.
- Pelvic floor rehabilitation: This type of therapy's objective is to help treat conditions that affect the pelvic floor.
What is online physical therapy?
Today, we can find many services online, and physical therapy is also one of them. Known as online physical therapy, virtual, digital, or telehealth, physical therapy that happens online is a treatment given when an in-person clinic visit is impossible.
It is just like regular therapy, only that it requires you to do "homework," meaning doing exercises on your own, at home. You still receive one-on-one guidance from a therapist in a live online session and feedback about the execution of the exercises and progress.
For more information about how an online physical therapist can help you, we invite you to contact the professionals registered at Kounsel, who can answer your questions and guide you toward your recovery.
