Physical therapy
hidePhysical therapy (physiotherapy in many English speaking countries) is a health care profession which provides services to individuals and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout life. This includes providing services in circumstances where movement and function are threatened by aging, injury, disease or environmental factors.
Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, treatment/intervention, habilitation and rehabilitation. This encompasses physical, psychological, emotional, and social well being. It involves the interaction between physical therapist (PT), patients/clients, other health professionals, families, care givers, and communities in a process where movement potential is assessed and goals are agreed upon, using knowledge and skills unique to physical therapists. Physical therapy is performed by either a physical therapist (PT) or an assistant (PTA) acting under their direction.
PTs utilize an individual's history and physical examination to arrive at a diagnosis and establish a management plan, and when necessary, incorporate the results of laboratory and imaging studies. Electrodiagnostic testing (e.g. electromyograms and nerve conduction velocity testing) may also be of assistance.
Physical therapy has many specialties including cardiopulmonary, geriatrics, neurologic, orthopaedic and pediatrics to name some of the more common areas. PTs practice in many settings, such as outpatient clinics or offices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, extended care facilities, private homes, education and research centers, schools, hospices, industrial workplaces or other occupational environments, fitness centers and sports training facilities.
Educational qualifications vary greatly by country. The span of education ranges from some countries having little formal education to others requiring masters or doctoral degrees.
For more information about Physical therapy, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with physical therapy
Physical therapists reduce disability and improve function in single-level microdiskectomy patients
Nov 24, 2009 |
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Patients who have undergone a single-level lumbar microdiskectomy for lumbar disk herniation experienced significant improvement in physical function following an intensive, progressive physical therapist guided exercise ...
Tailoring physical therapy can restore more functions after neurological injury
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 21, 2009 |
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New research suggests a tailored approach to physical therapy after a neurological injury such as a stroke, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury could help restore a wider variety of functions.
More research needed on blast induced traumatic brain injury and vestibular pathology
Oct 16, 2009 |
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Physical therapists are calling for definitive vestibular screenings and assessment measures for US military service members with blast-induced traumatic brain injuries (BITBI). According to a Scholarly Opinion Piece in ...
Leg movement training in preterm infants demonstrates positive changes in motor skills
Oct 01, 2009 |
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Preterm infants who receive leg movement training display feet-reaching behaviors similar to that of full-term infants, according to a randomized controlled trial reported in the October issue of Physical Therapy (PTJ), the sc ...
People with type 2 diabetes improved muscular strength
Sep 22, 2009 |
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Physical therapist-directed exercise counseling combined with fitness center-based exercise training can improve muscular strength and exercise capacity in people with type 2 diabetes, with outcomes similar to those of supervised ...
Mild exercise while in the ICU reduces bad effects of prolonged bed rest
Sep 21, 2009 |
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Critical care experts at Johns Hopkins are reporting initial success in boosting recovery and combating muscle wasting among critically ill, mostly bed-bound patients using any one of a trio of mild physical therapy exercises ...
Use of a restraining device in the subacute phase after a stroke no better than rehabilitation alone
Aug 04, 2009 |
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Restraining the use of some patients' unaffected upper limb during the subacute phase following stroke does not appear to generate greater improvements in motor impairment and capacity than standard rehabilitation alone, ...
PTs say proper fit and use of walking aids can prevent fall-related injuries in elderly
Jul 10, 2009 |
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The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is urging elderly adults who use canes and walkers as walking aids to be properly assessed and fitted by a physical therapist to avoid fall-related injuries. This advice comes ...
Massage after exercise myth busted
May 07, 2009 |
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A Queen's University research team has blown open the myth that massage after exercise improves circulation to the muscle and assists in the removal of lactic acid and other waste products.
External focus improves postural stability in patients with Parkinson's disease
Mar 26, 2009 |
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ALEXANDRIA, VA - Patients with Parkinson disease may be able to improve their postural stability by directing their attention to the external effects of their movements rather than to the movements of their own body, according ...
Physical therapy is effective for management of low-back pain
Feb 25, 2009 |
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A new review article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons should help convince many patients with low back pain to consider physical therapy as a first line of treatment for their condit ...
Report shows motor control exercises reduce persistent low-back pain
Jan 28, 2009 |
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Motor control exercises, when performed in conjunction with other forms of therapy, can significantly reduce pain and disability in patients with persistent low back pain, according to a new systematic review published in ...
Perception of health and balance has direct impact on walking activity, new study says
Dec 19, 2008 |
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New research out of the University of Pittsburgh indicates that patients' perceptions of their own health and balance have an impact on how much they walk. The study was originally published in Physical Therapy (December 2008), ...
Physical therapy offers evidence-based solution to musculoskeletal pain
Dec 15, 2008 |
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The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is urging patients with musculoskeletal pain to consider treatment by a physical therapist, in light of a new federal survey showing that more than one-third of American adults ...
Stroke patients soon may have fun, high-tech tool: Virtual program may aid in therapy
Nov 10, 2008 |
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The University of Central Florida will immerse stroke survivors in a virtual world full of flying insects to help expand their range of movement.
