Physical Therapy

If you’re like most people, you probably have a general idea of what physical therapy is and why it plays an important role in healthcare. What you may not realize is that no matter what’s happening in your life or with your health, physical therapy can likely help! PT is a healthcare practice focused on improving how you move—and everything that goes into safely getting through your day.

Physical therapy treatments range from carefully prescribed exercises to hands-on techniques designed to address your specific mobility or functional limitations. It can also support recovery after surgery, help prevent injuries and falls, and assist with many other health challenges.

A common misconception is that physical therapy is only for athletes or people recovering from orthopedic surgery. While PT is certainly valuable in those cases, it can benefit people in many other situations as well.

After earning their doctorate degree, physical therapists are qualified to treat patients in any setting. They may work with individuals recovering from a head injury, undergoing chemotherapy, or even babies learning to walk! Anytime someone is struggling to move comfortably or safely, seeing a physical therapist is a great first step.

Types of Physical Therapy

After completing their doctorate, some physical therapists choose to specialize in a particular area of treatment. This means that no matter what your concern is, there’s likely a highly trained specialist who can evaluate and address it.

While many people associate physical therapy primarily with exercise, the range of treatments and interventions offered by PTs is much broader. Manual physical therapists, for example, may relieve pain with just a few precise techniques, while others may offer small adjustments or recommendations that have a big impact on your quality of life.

• Orthopedic physical therapy focuses on bones, muscles, ligaments, and joints. If you’ve broken a bone, torn a muscle or ligament, or had a joint replacement, this is the right type of PT for you.
• Neurologic physical therapy helps individuals with conditions like stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s disease—anything that affects the brain, spinal cord, or nerves.
• Cardiopulmonary physical therapy supports people managing conditions such as congestive heart failure, heart attack, COPD, or other issues involving the heart, arteries, veins, or lungs.
• Pelvic floor physical therapy addresses incontinence, prolapse, and sexual pain or dysfunction.
• Pediatric physical therapy helps children with developmental or congenital conditions that affect their growth and movement skills.