| About Physical Therapy What Is Physical Therapy? Is Physical Therapy Right for Me? How Do I Choose? | Glossary Treatment Applications Types of Physical Therapy Credentials |
What Is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is a medical practice in which a person’s injured body is restored to healthy functioning through a program of therapeutic exercise and touch. Following an injury, a body part is often too damaged to get better on its own, but not so damaged as to require surgery. In such cases, the doctor will prescribe physical therapy so your injured body part can heal itself over time through the right movements and treatments.
In addition to having you do therapeutic exercises that will gradually strengthen the injured body part, physical therapists may also use massage, ultrasound, heat, ice, and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to help you recover. The exercises your physical therapist will have you do may include lifting weights, riding an exercise bike, stretching, and resistance training using rubber bands. The physical therapist will also likely massage your joints and muscles to help improve balance, strength, alignment, and mobility.
Physical therapy was first recognized as a profession during World War I. To answer the overwhelming need for rehabilitation of wounded military personnel, the Surgeon General's office formed the division of special hospitals and physical reconstruction. The employees of this division were known as "reconstruction aides." Today, physical therapy is considered a conventional form of medicine, as central to the healing of injuries as orthopedists and sports medicine doctors.
This 'Health Professionals Directory' is provided by Psychology Today and WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about health professionals. The Health Professionals Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any health professionals contained therein. Inclusion in the Health Professionals Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Health Professionals Directory imply Psychology Today or WebMD disapproval. You are prohibited from using, downloading, republishing, selling, duplicating, or "scraping," for commercial or any other purpose whatsoever, the Health Professionals Directory or any of the data listings or other information contained therein, in whole or in part, in any medium whatsoever.
The Health Professionals Directory is provided on an "AS-IS" basis. Psychology Today and WebMD disclaim all warranties, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for particular purpose. Without limiting the foregoing, Psychology Today and WebMD does not warrant or represent that the Health Professionals Directory or any part thereof is accurate or complete. You assume full responsibility for your communications with any health professional you contact through the Health Professionals Directory. Psychology Today and WebMD shall in no event be liable to you or to anyone else for any decision made or action taken by you in reliance on information provided in the Health Professionals Directory.
