PT is an integral part of recovery from many injuries and conditions. Some people use physical therapists to manage long-term pain and discomfort, and others use them for injury prevention and to help maintain optimal functional mobility.

Exercises, massages, and treatments based on physical stimulation (such as heat, cold, electrical currents, or ultrasound) make up most of physical therapy.

The goal of strengthening exercises is to help improve muscle strength and take stress off the affected joints. Muscles can weaken quickly when an injury or surgery occurs, so regaining the strength in injured areas helps reduce pain and make everyday activities safe and easy once again. Depending on your condition, your physical therapist may use weights, bands or your own body weight to improve your strength.

When performing strengthening exercises, the physical therapist will first recommend doing some stretching exercises to warm up. Then, they will guide you through the range of motion that is appropriate for your recovery. Afterwards, they will move to the strengthening exercises.

Typically, your physical therapist will start with lower extremity exercises to improve knee or hip strength. They will then move to the upper extremity (shoulders or elbows) strength exercises. Once the muscles in those areas are stronger, they will then focus on improving your neck and back muscles.

After a few weeks of strengthening exercises, the physical therapist will then start to introduce some general conditioning exercise into your program. This may include walking, taking the stairs instead of an elevator or low-impact aerobics. This type of exercise is designed to improve your cardiovascular health and endurance.

Your physical therapist will also incorporate some balance and coordination exercises into your therapy. These are important because the muscles in the affected area will often be weak and out of sync with other muscles. Incorporating balance and coordination exercises will help your muscles learn to work together again, which will help you feel better and improve your posture and stability.

For example, the seated row is an exercise that strengthens the shoulder and back muscles to help alleviate rotator cuff problems or tennis elbow. To perform this exercise, you will sit on a chair and hold the edges of the seat with your hands. You will then pull your elbows back and raise your chest off the seat, using your back muscles. Your therapist will show you how to properly perform this exercise and monitor your progress throughout your treatment sessions.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy (or hands-on physical therapy) is a primary modality that utilizes skilled manipulation of the soft tissue, joints and nerves to decrease pain and stiffness and improve quality of movement. This passive treatment approach is often used in the early phases of a physical therapy treatment plan, and is typically combined with active techniques like strengthening, balance training, or plyometric exercises.

Manual Therapy Techniques include joint mobilization and manipulation, as well as soft tissue techniques like myofascial release, massage and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization. These specialized hands-on techniques help improve flexibility, reduce swelling, relieve muscle tension, break up adhesions and increase blood flow to the affected area.

These manual therapies are often covered by insurance as part of your physical therapist treatment, and can be particularly helpful in the acute phases of a physical therapy treatment plan where your movement is restricted in a specific region or pain levels may be higher. Your therapist will discuss these techniques with you and determine if they are appropriate in your case.

Studies have shown that a combination of manual therapy and exercise is more effective than either one alone. In a study of knee osteoarthritis, a combination of manual and exercise improved range of motion and function more than just one of those treatments alone (Deyle et al 2005).

During a manual therapy session, your therapist will move the muscles and bones in your body by pulling, pushing, twisting, and moving your limbs in different directions. This passive hands-on therapy is beneficial for many patients, but is especially useful in the early stages of treatment to reduce stiffness and inflammation as well as to increase the effectiveness of more active treatments.

Before a physical therapist begins using manual therapy, they will perform a full evaluation of the muscles, bones and nerves in your body. This will include assessing your movement patterns and determining if you are a good candidate for manual therapy to treat your injury or condition. Depending on your diagnosis, there are several different manual techniques your therapist might use including mobilization/manipulation, myofascial release, deep tissue massage, and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization.

Electrotherapy

A physical therapist may use electrotherapy in combination with manual therapy and exercise to help you achieve your rehabilitation goals. During the course of your treatment, the physical therapist will apply electrodes to the skin which conduct an electrical current to stimulate muscle activity, and promote blood flow and tissue healing. These modalities are a very important part of the physiotherapy process and have been used for decades.

The most common form of electrotherapy involves electrical stimulation to relieve pain and promote circulation. It is sometimes referred to as TENS, and it uses a low-level electrical current to stimulate the nerves and muscles. This can help to decrease muscle spasm, reduce swelling, and increase or decrease the range of motion. It can also be helpful for pain control and reducing inflammation.

Another type of electrical stimulation is functional electrical stimulation (FES). FES has small switches that are applied to your body and activate when you perform certain activities. This type of electrotherapy can be useful for improving walking, running, and jumping activities. It can also help to improve muscle strength by stimulating the muscle cells to contract.

Iontophoresis is another type of electrotherapy that helps to decrease inflammation and improve circulation. This modality uses a special type of electrode to deliver medication directly into the tissues through the skin. This can help with reducing inflammation and treating musculoskeletal injuries and chronic conditions like fibromyalgia.

Other types of electrotherapy include acupuncture, laser therapy, and shockwave therapy. Acute injuries, such as a sports injury or car accident can cause damage to your spinal cord or nerves, which can lead to weakness and chronic pain. Using electrotherapy and manual therapy can help restore these connections and allow you to return to normal function more quickly.

Before your physical therapist applies any type of electrode, they will assess your medical history and the condition of your affected area. They may determine that this modality is not appropriate for you if you have a pacemaker, heart problems, very sensitive skin, open wounds or unhealed scars, a chronic illness like hepatitis or renal disease, bone tuberculosis, or are pregnant.

Education

To become a physical therapist, you need a bachelor’s degree in a field like health science, exercise science or biology. After that, you attend a physical therapy program to earn your Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). Physical Therapy programs typically spend 80 percent of their time in classroom education (didactic curriculum and labs) and about 27.5 weeks of clinical education.

Once you have your DPT, you can work in a variety of settings. You can also pursue an advanced degree to help you advance your career and improve your patient outcomes.

A number of physical therapists work in areas like sports medicine, geriatrics and women’s health. Others choose to move into the world of research and contribute to the body of knowledge that helps shape the profession. Many even go into teaching and are able to help the next generation of physical therapists develop their skills.

Those interested in entering the field of physical therapy often want to know how much it will cost to obtain their degree. This is important because it can give them a realistic idea of the type of debt they will face once they graduate. Additionally, it will let them know if they can afford to take on the debt without sacrificing other financial goals in life.

Operational definition: Physical therapy education is accessible, financially viable and encourages people from diverse backgrounds and experiences to enter the profession. Its educators continue to grow in their knowledge and skills to meet the profession’s educational aims, and there is continual advocacy for accessibility of education, sustainable payment and appropriate compensation levels across the profession.

To identify and prioritize the strategic action items related to the Partnership’s education strategy, volunteer panels were established for each of the following four strategy categories: Education Research, Outcomes, Essential Resources, and Academic-Clinical Partnerships. These groups met during the data collection period and recommended next steps. McKinley Advisors reviewed and consolidated the recommendations of these groups into the unified strategic plan found on page 10.