A physical therapist understands how the different body systems integrate with movement. They know how to diagnose based on movement and are open to trying new treatments to determine what works best for an individual patient. Contact Pure Physio PT for professional help.
Exercise is controlled physical stress to help improve strength, range of motion, or flexibility. Your therapist may use modalities like heat, cold, or electrical stimulation to relieve pain and increase blood flow.
Strengthening exercises build muscle mass, which increases your ability to move more easily. They include simple movements like toe raises and arm rotations, as well as resistance training with weights or other implements. A physical therapist can show you the proper technique to perform these exercises.
PT treatment may also include the use of heat, moist or cold therapy to help with pain and inflammation. Heat treatments can include warm baths, a hot or cold pack, a wand or a heat lamp. Cold packs can be used in the same manner to decrease swelling. Kinesiology tape, which is a stretchy cloth tape, may be applied to your skin to provide support and decrease pain. Electrical stimulation, called e-stim, is another pain-relieving option that uses small electric currents to send signals to your muscles to reduce or stop the feeling of pain.
Physical therapists can also provide you with instruction and guidance for balance and endurance exercises, as well as a series of movements that help you return to the activities you enjoyed before your injury or illness. They can provide advice on safe ways to perform daily tasks, such as climbing stairs, and teach you to use your body in new ways so that you can avoid future injury.
A good therapist will make sure you are comfortable and feel supported during your PT sessions. They will work with you to develop a care plan that meets your needs, including goals and outcomes you can achieve in the clinic and at home. They will guide you through your rehabilitation, and encourage you to push yourself beyond your comfort zone to see great results. In addition, they will be a source of emotional support and will listen to your concerns as you progress through treatment.
Weakness
For patients who have muscle weakness for which there’s no obvious cause, physical therapy can help. This treatment focuses on strengthening muscles to improve overall strength and balance. It can also help relieve pain and reduce the severity of other symptoms.
Physical therapists must have strong, healthy legs and arms to help their patients with exercises and stretches. They may also need to be able to lift heavy objects and assist patients with walking and standing up. The work is physically demanding and can cause injuries if the wrong type of footwear is worn or the correct stance isn’t maintained.
Many PTs prefer to do their work in person rather than over the phone or internet. This is because they’re accustomed to explaining the details of a patient’s injury, discussing their treatment plan and helping them perform their at-home exercises. But as telehealth options increase in popularity, more and more PTs are being asked to work remotely.
When interviewing for a job as a PT, prospective employers often ask about previous work experience. They may also ask what areas of the profession the applicant is most interested in. This helps them determine whether the candidate has the skills and abilities to perform the job well.
To prepare for interviews, applicants should review common PT interview questions and answers. They can also take a practice test to gauge their skills and see how they measure up against those of other candidates. For example, a common question is “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” Although this is a difficult question to answer, it’s important for a potential PT to be honest. They’ll need to be able to identify their own areas of improvement so they can continue to grow and develop professionally.
Flexibility
Many people work with physical therapists to improve their mobility and manage pain or stiffness related to health conditions. They also use physical therapy to help them recover from injuries or surgery, and to learn how to avoid future problems.
A physical therapist will examine you and ask questions about your symptoms, how you move and perform daily tasks, how much you sleep, and your medical history. Based on their findings, they’ll develop a treatment plan designed to improve movement and reduce or eliminate pain and disability. They’ll work directly with you to implement this plan, or they may instruct a physical therapist assistant to carry out the outlined treatments.
Flexibility exercises are a critical part of a physical therapy regimen, as they can help you regain and maintain limb motion, joint flexibility, and muscle strength. The physical therapist will create a variety of flexibility exercises to meet your needs. These can range from basic, slow stretches to advanced exercises that target specific muscles or joints.
Your PT will also include exercises in your treatment that will focus on improving balance and reaction time. These exercises can involve a balance board or small weights. They can also include exercises that improve the function of your inner ear and your eyesight, depending on what is causing your imbalances.
To become a physical therapist, you must have a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy or a doctorate degree in physical therapy (DPT). Some physical therapists choose to further specialize by participating in clinical fellowships or completing a residency program. These programs are offered through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, and they can be a great way to gain hands-on experience in your desired field.
Balance
Balance issues are common and can lead to falls, which often have serious consequences. Physical therapy can improve balance and decrease the risk of falling. Your physical therapist will evaluate your balance and teach you exercises to strengthen your muscles, improve the stability of your joints, and train your brain to react faster to a balance disturbance so that you can avoid a fall.
Balance problems can be caused by inner-ear problems, such as vertigo, or weakness in the muscles, such as from a stroke, arthritis, or diabetes. They can also occur due to surgery, such as knee or hip replacements, and loss of proprioceptors in the joint, which are cells that send information about body position to the brain.
A study of group-based balance training showed that the programme was effective in improving balance control, fall-related self-efficacy, fear of falling, walking speed, and physical function. This programme was performed in 45-minute sessions, three times a week for 12 weeks, with two to three physiotherapists present. Exercises for sitting, standing, and walking were included at basic, moderate, and advanced levels. The addition of motor and cognitive tasks (dual- and multi-task activities) improved the effectiveness of the programme.
A physical therapist can help you develop a balance program that you can perform at home. The best way to reduce the risk of a fall is to do regular exercise and to be careful when moving around, especially outdoors. Performing balance exercises can also help prevent falls in older adults. According to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, regular balance training reduces fall risk by 13% to 40%. For safety, it is important to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
Mobility
A lack of mobility means you’re not able to move your body through its full range of motion. Getting your mobility back can help you avoid injury and even increase performance.
PTs use a variety of techniques—called therapeutic modalities—to improve your mobility. Some examples include a soft tissue technique like stretching, which is similar to massage, joint manipulation and mobilization and electrical stimulation to stimulate muscles to contract and promote blood flow to the injured area.
When you’re not able to work through the full arc of movement in your joints, it leads to imbalances that put you at risk for future injuries. For example, if you’re not able to rotate your hips through their full range of motion, you may compensate in other areas and create a pattern that puts you at higher risk for lower-body injuries.
Your physical therapist might also recommend exercises to do in your home to boost your mobility. For instance, they might instruct you to practice a seven-step yoga routine that moves your body through the full range of arcs in your knees and hips. This will increase your ability to walk up and down stairs, carry groceries or play sports without pain.
Keeping your mobility up can also prevent future injuries. Injuries typically occur at the end of a joint’s range, so keeping your muscles strong and your joints mobile can keep you from injuring yourself in the same way again.
If you’ve experienced an injury or have a medical condition that limits your mobility, talk to your doctor about physical therapy. Your therapist will evaluate you and create a treatment plan that targets your specific needs and goals.
