If you are like most people, you may have a vague idea of what physical therapy is, and why it is an important part of healthcare. What you may not know is that no matter what is going on in your life or with your health, physical therapy can most likely help!
PT is a type of health care practice that focuses on improving the way you move, and everything that is involved in safely getting around throughout your day. Physical therapy treatment ranges from carefully prescribed exercises to hands-on techniques specifically designed to target your mobility or functional impairment. It can also help with recovery from surgery, injury prevention, and fall prevention, among many other things!
A very common preconception is that physical therapy is for athletes, or for those recovering from orthopedic surgery. While PT is appropriate in both of these scenarios, it can also be useful in a variety of other situations.
When physical therapists graduate from their doctorate program, they are able to treat patients in any setting – they may treat patients suffering from a head injury, or going through chemotherapy for cancer, or babies learning to walk! Anytime someone is having trouble moving around, visiting a physical therapist is a good place to start.