Chronic and acute health problems and sudden injuries can also limit your life and impact your emotional well-being. Physical therapy should be part of your recovery and rehabilitation to optimize how you move, feel, and function. However, ensure you find the best physical therapist in your area.
Let’s talk about physical therapy, what to look for in a therapist, and where you can go to find the best physical therapist.
What Is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is a medical and rehabilitative discipline that helps people regain movement and independence after a traumatic injury, chronic and debilitating health condition, sports mishap, motor vehicle accident, and more. Therapists offer treatment plans according to patient symptoms and desired therapeutic outcomes. Additionally, they conduct focused Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs), which provide real information on muscular strength, range of motion, flexibility, pain level, and more.
What Does Physical Therapy Treat?
Physical therapy is rarely a stand-alone treatment. Usually, it works in concert with medical interventions from a PCP or specialty care provider, such as a cardiologist or orthopedic physician. It also dovetails with chiropractic treatments, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and more through assistive devices, exercise, stretching, TENS, ultrasound, heat and cold therapy, assistive devices (crutches, canes, and braces), and more.
Physicians often recommend a program of physical therapy for people who have medical diagnoses such as:
- Concussions
- Arthritis
- Obesity
- Fibromyalgia
- Cardiovascular disease
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Traumatic and repetitive motion injuries to the knee, hip, foot, ankle, neck, back, lower back, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand
- Headaches and migraines
- Sports injuries, such as rotator cuff tears, meniscus tears, ankle instability due to repeated sprains, and more
What Makes a Good Physical Therapist?
Your PCP, a friend, or a relative could recommend a physical therapist just right for you. Or, you may check online for the PT practices nearest you, being attentive to the services the facility offers and the credentials of the on-site therapists.
In general, a qualified physical therapist has a doctor of physical therapy degree from an accredited college or university and has passed state licensing examinations. He or she also has years of experience in a stand-alone PT facility, nursing home, hospital, medical center, or sports medicine practice.
However, besides education and experience, the right physical therapist for you will have excellent patient rapport. Your therapist should focus on tailor-made solutions to your particular needs and goals; for your part, you should clearly outline your symptoms and what you’d like to achieve from a physical therapy care plan.
Finally, the right therapist has skills in your particular area of concern–stroke or cardiac recovery, sports injuries, headache relief, as examples. When you are looking for a therapist, be sure to ask if he or she has the experience to help you gain strength, skills, and long-term recovery.
Contact H2 Health, Inc., at a Location Near You
H2 Health, Inc. offers on-site and at-home physical therapy services for people of all ages. Our facilities are bright, clean, and welcoming, and our therapists are patient-centered, friendly, and highly-skilled. They focus on long-lasting symptom relief, optimal functioning, and independence for people with a wide range of health issues.
Call us today at (800) 699-9395 to arrange an individualized consultation at a H2 Health location near you or use our online appointment request form. We are located in West Virginia, Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma, Maryland, Kentucky, and Georgia.
