| Physical therapy services are offered in physical | | | | patients as much independence as possible. |
| therapy clinics all across the country. These | | | | Therapists check out the patient's environments |
| services usually comprise of therapeutic programs | | | | and advice them on the best, safest and most |
| customized to each patient's needs for the | | | | convenient ways to confer their surroundings for |
| treatment of physical dysfunctions and prevention | | | | their utmost productivity. |
| of further deterioration of certain body parts due | | | | Some of the treatment protocols used in these |
| to disease, injury or aging. Other programs may | | | | programs include electrical stimulation, hot and cold |
| also comprise of supervised weight loss, physical | | | | packs, therapeutic exercises, ultrasound |
| strengthening or conditioning, and functional | | | | treatments, training in functional activities, traction, |
| re-training. | | | | whirlpools, UV rays, infrared, TENS |
| The different types of physical therapy programs | | | | (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), |
| are supervised by licensed physical therapists. It is | | | | intermittent compression pumps and more. There |
| their job to evaluate and prescribe appropriate | | | | must be regular weekly treatment sessions for |
| therapeutic measures according to their patient | | | | the program to take effect, as well as concerted |
| findings. Many times, therapists find themselves | | | | effort and participation on the patient's part. |
| teaching patients basic motor skills like how to get | | | | Other useful techniques to aid in recovery include |
| up and out of bed then sitting on a chair from this | | | | massage, neuro-development, and joint |
| position, walking with crutches on uneven ground, | | | | mobilization to stimulate soft tissue flexibility and |
| and retraining patients how to write or walk again | | | | maintain joint mobility. As the patient progresses, |
| either with damaged, but recovering limbs or with | | | | therapists continue to apply the best therapeutic |
| prosthetics. | | | | concepts and treatments as appropriate at that |
| The physical therapist needs to take an accurate | | | | stage of the recovery. |
| and detailed patient history to be able to properly | | | | Physical therapists also educate their patients on |
| evaluate the problem. This includes performing | | | | ways to prevent the problem from recurring and |
| certain function tests and taking meticulous | | | | ways to manage the current problem. Many |
| measurements to assess the problem. Some | | | | times, prevention is as simple as a correction in |
| examples of tests could be: coordination tests, | | | | posture, body movement, and doing stretches, |
| joint motion, muscle strength, balance, flexibility, | | | | which most patients are usually unaware of, |
| sensory and neurological tests, palpation, postural | | | | therefore, it is the therapist's responsibility to bring |
| screening, movement analysis and other specific | | | | these to their attention through instructions or |
| tests designed for specific problems. After | | | | handouts. |
| evaluating the results of these tests, the therapist | | | | It is undeniable that physical therapy services play |
| will then come up with the best treatment plan to | | | | an important role in today's management of |
| help the patient recover and attain his goals of | | | | health and well being. However, more than this, is |
| overcoming whatever dysfunction is present. | | | | the skill and knowledge that a physical therapist |
| Part of physical therapy services include teaching | | | | brings to be able to use these services in the |
| patients how to operate devices designed to | | | | best way possible for the patient concerned in |
| assist in their mobility like wheelchairs, crutches or | | | | order to bring about their recovery and healing. |
| other equipment at work or at home to allow | | | | |