Physical Therapy

Topic Overview

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy provides services for people of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, when medical problems or other health-related conditions limit their ability to move and function in their daily lives. A physical therapist will examine you and develop a treatment plan to increase your ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability.

The goals of physical therapy are to improve your mobility (such as walking, going up stairs, or getting in and out of bed), to relieve your pain, and to restore your physical function and overall fitness. Depending on your injury, disease, or condition, you may need to work on flexibility, strength, endurance, coordination, and/or balance. To do this, your treatment may focus on preventing problems or treating problems that affect:

• Your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones (musculoskeletal system).
• Your nerves and related muscles (neuromuscular system).
• Your heart and related blood vessels (cardiovascular system).
• Your lungs and breathing (pulmonary system).
• Your skin, including wounds and burns.
• Any combination of two or more of these.

Where can I get physical therapy?

Physical therapy services are delivered in many places, including:

• Outpatient clinics.
• Hospitals.
• Nursing homes.
• Private homes, through home health agencies.
• Schools.
• Sports and fitness facilities.
• Work settings.

How do I find a physical therapist?

Your health professional may recommend a certain physical therapist because he or she knows that the therapist has expertise with your condition and/or because they have worked together with patients in the past. Many people find their physical therapists by talking with friends or family, or even by looking in the telephone book or on the Internet. Health insurance companies also include physical therapists in their lists of providers.

Physical therapists are educated to provide services for a variety of people. Some treat a wide range of injuries, diseases, and health conditions. Others specialize in areas such as pediatrics (children's health), geriatrics (health issues of the aging), orthopedics (conditions of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones), sports physical therapy (recreational or professional sports issues), neurology (issues with nerves and related muscles), cardiovascular therapy (issues with the heart and related blood vessels), pulmonary (lung conditions and breathing), oncology (problems related to the treatment of cancer), and women's health (issues before and after the birth of a baby, incontinence related to muscle control in the pelvic region, problems after a mastectomy, and osteoporosis). Be sure you are seeing a physical therapist with the expertise to help with your problem, and in a setting where you feel comfortable.

Ask to find out if you need a referral from a doctor. Most states do not require a referral for you to see a physical therapist, but some do. And some insurance companies will not pay for physical therapy without a referral.

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Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH	Last Updated March 8, 2007
Medical Review:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine David A. Fleckenstein, MPT - Physical Therapy Kathie Hummel-Berry, PT, PhD - Physical Therapy
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