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Physical and Occupational therapy are helpful in restoring, maintaining, and promoting overall fitness, health, and optimal quality of life. PT and OT helps to prevent the onset and progression of impairment, functional limitations, disability, changes in physical function, and health status resulting from injury, disease, or other causes. Physical and occupational therapists practice in a broad range of inpatient, outpatient, and community based settings.

 

Physical Therapy Back and Neck Pain/Whiplash Arthritis and Osteoporosis Sports/Work Related Injuries Total Joint Replacements & Arthroscopies Muscle Pain, Strains, and Sprains Rotator Cuff Repairs Carpal Tunnel CVA/MS/Parkinsons Pediatric Developmental Delays Aquatic Therapy Burn/Wound Care Fractures Amputations Impaired Posture Spinal Cord Injury/Traumatic Brain Injury Foot Orthotics

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY CVA (stroke) Rehabilitation Spinal Cord Injury Traumatic Brain Injury Hand Therapy Splinting of UE (arm) Pediatrics (Developmental Delay) Aquatic Therapy Carpal Tunnel Activities of Daily Living Retraining Upper Extremity Muscle Weakness Cardiac/Pulmonary Stress Management Cognition Deficits Training in the use of Adaptive Equipment Fine Motor Coordination

ATHLETIC TRAINING Outreach Area Athletes Sports Injuries Prevention of Athletic Injuries Rehabilitation of Athletes Management of Injuries Preparticipation Screenings Preseason Conditioning Taping Functional Bracing Postural/Gait Analysis First Aid of Athletic Injuries Athletic Reconditioning

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Physical Therapy is an allied health profession concerned with the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and disability through physical means. It is based upon principles of medical science, and is generally held to be within the sphere of conventional (rather than alternative) medicine. Physical Therapy is practiced by physical therapists, though aspects may also be practiced under supervised delegation by Physical Therapy assistants or other health professionals.
 

Scope of practice
Physical Therapists' scope of practice varies considerably across the world, both in terms of the degree of professional autonomy enjoyed and the range of conditions managed.

Physical Therapists usually enjoy professional autonomy, with the ability to act as primary care providers and to determine - and be responsible for - a patient's management plan.

The major conditions managed by Physical Therapists can be broadly grouped into four categories: musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, integumentary, and neurological. Many areas of Physical Therapy, e.g. rehabilitation or pediatrics, cross all four areas.

Depending on the structure of the local healthcare system, Physical Therapists may function either privately (e.g. in a private clinic) or publicly (e.g. in a hospital or community setting). Furthermore, Physical Therapists may work as generalists managing a wide range of conditions, or may specialize in certain fields. The process of determining career structure and specialization varies geographically.

History of Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy has its origins in ancient times with the advent of manipulation and massage in China circa 3000 BC. Hippocrates in 460 BC described massage and hydrotherapy. In 1894 the British Medical Journal raised concerns about the practices of some masseuses and masseurs who were offering massage as a euphemism for immoral services. The BMJ called for an institution to be formed to regulate massage practice. The Society of Trained Masseuses was formed by well-meaning nurses and midwives who were keen to see their massage practices authenticated.

Quickly, the English example was followed by many other countries which adopted practices and regulatory systems suitable for their local conditions. In America, Australia, Canada and New Zealand 'authentic' massage became synonymous with a discrete body of treatment modalities including electrotherapy (and later actinotherapy - the application of heat and light for healing purposes), remedial gymnastic exercise and, of course, massage and manipulation. In England by 1944 the Society of Trained Masseuses adopted its present name, the Chartered Society of Physical Therapy (CSP), being more representative of the field of work it covered.

A concern to provide an authentic alternative to the massage parlors, and a desire to court medical approval, saw early Physical Therapy pioneers adopt a view of the body based on biomechanics and kinesiology in health and illness - something that dominates the Physical Therapy 'philosophy' even to this day.

Massage and remedial gymnastics became a vital service in both world wars and much was learned through the rehabilitation of injured servicemen from these unfortunate events. Physical Therapy grew rapidly after the Second World War with spinal injury units, orthopedic hospitals and chest clinics providing new challenges to the profession.

In many countries, Physical Therapy has become the largest allied health profession, and third only behind medicine and nursing in the number of graduating health care students.


Assessment
A physical therapist will initially conduct a subjective examination (interview) of a patient's medical history, and then go on to the objective assessment (physical examination). The subjective examination is guided by the presenting system and complaint, and the objective assessment is in turn guided by the history.

This semi-structured process is used to rule out serious pathology, establish functional limitations, establish the diagnosis, guide therapy, and establish a baseline for monitoring progress. As such, the objective exam will then use certain quantifiable measurements to both guide diagnosis and for progress monitoring. These depend upon the system (and area) being managed.


Treatment
Guided by the assessment findings, the physical therapist will then develop and facilitate a treatment plan. Aside from the various techniques involved in therapy, the treatment regime may include prescribing and advice regarding assistive walking devices; should consider functional progress; and include ongoing review and refinement. Patient education is a key aspect of all treatment plans.