Physical Therapy - What to Expect

Physical therapy is a health care specialty concerned with treating disorders of the musculoskeletal system and it's interaction with physical movement. Physical therapists are licensed professionals who hold a master’s or doctorate degree in physical therapy. They work in a wide variety of settings including hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, out-patient facilities, schools, and nursing homes.

What is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy is a health care specialty involved with evaluating, diagnosing, and treating disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The ultimate goal of physical therapy is to restore maximal functional independence to each individual patient. To achieve this goal, physical such as exercise, heat, cold, electricity, and massage are utilized.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Physical therapists are licensed professionals who work with people that have sustained disabilities, impairments, or limitations in their overall physical function. These deviations can be the result of disease, injury, or pathological processes.

How Long Does Physical Therapy Take?

How long will physical therapy take is a common question asked by many patients. Although the question itself is a simple one, the answer is much more difficult.

How Do I Set Appropriate Rehabilitation Goals?

Setting goals is the best way to achieve a successful rehabilitation outcome. When starting physical therapy, you must think what is it that you want to accomplish at the end of your program. The goals you set should be important to you. However, they must also be realistic and attainable. Your physical therapist will then work with you to devise an appropriate treatment program to help achieve your rehabilitation goals.

What Conditions Does Physical Therapy Treat?

There are many conditions for which physical therapy is one of the key forms of treatment. Due to this there are several specialty areas in the field of physical therapy. Although this is well known throughout the profession, it is often overlooked by the general public. Here is a brief description of the five most common specialty treatment areas in physical therapy.

Goals and Rehab:

Setting goals is the best way to achieve a successful rehabilitation outcome. When starting physical therapy, you must think what is it that you want to accomplish at the end of your program. Goals are often very individualized, but then again so is the rehabilitation process. Once you have set your goals, it is important to sit down with your therapist on the first visit and discuss them together.

Determining Goals:

The goals you set should be ones that are important to you. However, they must also be realistic and attainable. If you do not abide by this rule, then you will be disappointed in your rehabilitation program as well as the outcome.

How to Set Goals:

After determining your goals, these should be described as your long term goals, the goals that you want to achieve at the end of your therapy. Then, make several short term goals that will help you achieve your long term goal. For example, if at the end of therapy your long term goal is to walk 200 feet without an assistive device, make 2 short term goals of: 1) walking 200 feet with a cane, then 2) walking 100 feet without an assistive device.

Time Frame:

Your therapist will help you determine an appropriate time frame for achieving your goals. This also should be within a realistic time frame and will depend on the gains that you make during your rehabilitation program.

How long will physical therapy take is a common question asked by many patients. Although the question itself is a simple one, the answer is much more difficult. Unfortunately there is no correct answer to this question. Each person is different, and thus an individual's rate of healing is also different. It may take one person only three days to walk one hundred feet after knee surgery, however a patient who had surgery on the same day may need five days to reach the same distance. This is due to the variation in pain perception, motivation, and healing rate we each have.

Rather than setting a date to complete therapy by, set various goals that you would like to achieve during your rehabilitation program. Make this your focus, not time. Reward yourself for achieving these goals, regardless of the time taken to reach them.

A quick tip on reducing the amount of time spent in therapy is through performance of a home exercise program. Although the physical therapist works with the patient during therapy sessions, it is important for the patient to take an active role in their therapy program. Daily participation in a home exercise program is a major factor in how quickly one recovers.

Types of Physical Therapy

There are many specialty areas in the field of physical therapy. Although this is well known throughout the profession, it is often overlooked by the general public. Below is a brief description of the five most common specialty areas in physical therapy. Read on to find out what specialty area is most appropriate for you or your family member.

Orthopedic

Orthopedic physical therapists diagnose, manage, and treat disorders and injuries of the musculoskeletal system as well as rehabilitate patients post orthopedic surgery. This specialty of physical therapy is most often found in the out-patient clinical setting. Orthopedic therapists are trained in the treatment of post operative joints, acute sports injuries, arthritis, and amputations just to name a few. Joint mobilizations, strength training, hot/cold packs, and electrical stimulation are modalities often used to expedite recovery in the orthopedic setting. Those who have suffered injury or disease affecting the muscles, bones, ligaments, or tendons of the body will benefit from assessment by a physical therapist specialized in orthopedics.

Geriatric

Geriatric physical therapy covers a wide area of issues concerning people as they go through normal adult aging, but is usually focused on the older adult. There are many conditions that affect many people as they grow older and include but are not limited to: arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, alzheimer's disease, hip and joint replacement, balance disorders, incontinence and more.

Geriatric physical therapy helps those affected by such problems in developing a specialized program to help restore mobility, reduce pain, increase fitness levels and more.

Neurological

Neurological physical therapy is a discipline focused on working with individuals who have a neurological disorder or disease. These include Alzheimer's disease, ALS, brain injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, and stroke. Common problems of patients with neurological disorders include paralysis, vision impairment, poor balance, inability to ambulate, and loss of functional independence. Therapists work with patients to improve these areas of dysfunction.

Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation physical therapists treat a wide variety of patients with cardiopulmonary disorders or those who have had cardiac or pulmonary surgery. Primary goals of this specialty include increasing patient endurance and functional independence. Manual therapy is utilized in this field to assist in clearing lung secretions experienced in patients with cystic fibrosis. Patients with disorders including heart attacks, post coronary bypass surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pulmonary fibrosis are only a few examples of those who would benefit from cardiovascular and pulmonary specialized physical therapists.

Pediatric

Pediatric physical therapy assists in early detection of health problems and uses a wide variety of modalities to treat disorders in the pediatric population. These therapists are specialized in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of infants, children, and adolescents with a variety of congenital, developmental, neuromuscular, skeletal, or acquired disorders/diseases. Treatments focus on improving gross and fine motor skills, balance and coordination, strength and endurance as well as cognitive and sensory processing/integration. Children with developmental delays, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and torticollis are a few of the patients treated by pediatric physical therapists.

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References

[1] "Physical Therapy - What to Expect" - http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/typesofphysicaltherapy/a/typesofpt.htm
[2] "A Day in the Life - Physical Therapist" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqZGswvhRZw&feature=related

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Disclaimer

The information on this page is provided for reference and and educational purposes only; to spread the awareness of Alternative Medicine for better health. It does NOT constitute any medical advice and NOT meant to diagnose or treat any health condition and/or is NOT a replacement for treatment by a healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider and learn how "Physical Therapies" work and how it is used before using any remedies that "Physical Therapies" offer.

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