Bodhizone

About Physical Therapy :
It is likely that you might have heard of physical therapy, or you may know of someone who has been treated by a physical therapist for some type of injury or condition. But exactly what is physical therapy? Who are physical therapists? The Model Definition of Physical Therapy adopted by the American Physical Therapy Association, states that physical therapy includes:

• Examining individuals with impairment, functional limitation, and disability or other health related conditions in order to determine a diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention.

• Alleviating impairment and functional limitation by designing, implementing, and modifying therapeutic interventions.

• Preventing injury, impairment, functional limitation, and disability, including the promotion and maintenance of fitness, health, and quality of life in people of all ages.

• Engaging in consultation, education, and research.

While this “Model” provides a glance at the generic scope of physical therapy practice, the practice of physical therapy in the 21st century extends well beyond this generic definition. To more understand the present, we first should visit the past.

While some of the techniques used in physical therapy have their roots in antiquity, Physical Therapy as a distinctive profession began during World War I. In an effort to provide early rehabilitation to wounded soldiers, the Surgeon General’s Office formed the Division of Special Hospitals and Physical Reconstruction. This division created what were known as “Reconstruction Aides”, who would later come to be known as Physical Therapists. Over 2,000 of these Reconstruction Aides were sent to hospitals in France to care for the rehabilitation needs of the wounded veterans. From this infancy, Physical Therapy began to slowly grow as a recognized medical profession until the polio epidemics of the 1940′s and 50′s. At this time the role of physical therapy became increasingly important as physical therapists became instrumental in helping people with this disease minimize or overcome its paralyzing effects.

Since then physical has continued to grow and progress in both its art and science of healing. Today, physical therapy provides health care services to patients of all ages and health conditions. It serves infants with birth defects to aid motor development and functional abilities; people with burns and wounds to prevent abnormal scarring and loss of movement; survivors of strokes to regain movement, function, and independent living; patients with cancer to regain strength and relieve discomfort; patients with low back problems to reduce pain and restore function; and patients with cardiac involvement to improve endurance and achieve independence. Physical therapy also provides for preventive exercise programs and programs to promote general health and fitness, postural improvement, and industrial safety and health.
With the vast changes that are occurring in the nation’s health care delivery system, physical therapy too, is changing. The physical therapy profession has kept pace with rapid advances in science and technology to provide the most effective patient treatment possible.

As can be easily seen, the scope of physical therapy practice extends far beyond a generic definition and so therefore do its practitioners. Physical Therapist is not a generic term. A Physical Therapist is specially trained in the examination and treatment of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular problems that affect ones abilities to move and function as well as they can in their daily lives. Because physical therapists are required to understand a vast array of problems that can affect movement, function, and health, all physical therapists are college graduates. In fact, all current physical therapist education programs graduate students at a master’s degree level, with many schools offering a clinical doctorate in physical therapy. All physical therapists must pass a national examination and be licensed by the state in which they practice. Some physical therapists seek advanced certification in a clinical specialty, such as orthopedic, neurologic, cardiovascular and pulmonary, pediatric, geriatric, sports physical therapy, or electrophysiological testing and measurement.

As a patient, here is what you can expect from your Physical Therapist;

• Examination to include performing tests and measures.

• Perform evaluations by making clinical judgments based on the data gathered during the examination.

• Establish a diagnosis by organizing evaluation results into defined clusters, syndromes, or categories to help determine appropriate intervention strategies.

• Determine a prognosis that indicates the level of optimum improvement that might be attained

• Provide interventions based on the outcomes desired.

• Evaluate the success of those interventions and modify treatment as may be necessary to affect the desired outcome.

• Terminate interventions when benefit has been attained.

• Provide prevention and wellness (including health promotion) programs.

• Provide services to consult, screen, and educate.

As can be seen, the physical therapists do not confine their training and talents to treating people who are ill. A large part of a physical therapist’s program is directed at preventing injury and loss of movement. Physical therapists work as consultants to industries to improve workplace design and reduce the risk of such things as muscle overuse or developing low back pain. They also provide services to athletes at all levels by screening for potential problems and institute preventive exercise programs. With the boom in the fitness industry, some physical therapists consult with individuals and fitness clubs to develop workouts that are safe and effective, especially for people who already know that they have a problem with their joints or their backs.

Currently, there are an estimated 115,000 physical therapists practicing in the United States. The need for their care is growing. In the United States alone, physical therapists help hundreds of thousands of individuals daily to restore health, improve function, and alleviate pain. And demand should continue to grow in the long run, as increasingly more people require physical therapy services because of the growing elderly population, the aging baby-boom generation, and technological and medical advances that have enhanced the effectiveness of rehabilitation for people of all ages.