Three Things You Might Not Know About Physical Therapy
As the US Healthcare system continues to transform, it’s important for patients to know their options and actively manage their own health and well-being. And a big part of that is knowing which healthcare professional is the best fit and why. When it comes to injury and illness, patients often don’t know the many ways that physical therapists are trained to help relieve symptoms, improve function and prevent further disability.
1. PTs often specialize in certain clinical areas. Similar to physicians, physical therapists can choose to specialize in certain areas and the options are vast. In fact, physical therapy’s scope reaches well beyond the commonly known sports-related injury. Some of the many areas physical therapists may have experience, advanced training or certification in include cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions, pediatrics, geriatrics, women’s health, oncology, wound management and neurology.
2. PTs practice in a variety of settings. Beyond outpatient clinics—which can be part of a healthcare system or private practices—physical therapists work in hospitals, nursing homes, sports and fitness facilities, schools, work settings, home health agencies, rehab hospitals and in the home. PTs work in the settings that align with their background, training and experience to draw on specific skills such as teaching proper body mechanics on the job or transferring a patient from the bed to a chair in an acute setting.
3. PTs help patients prevent injuries. Although physical therapists are widely known for helping patients regain strength and mobility following an injury or surgical procedure, the rehab professionals can also diagnose potential problems before they occur. With a thorough patient history and evaluation, PTs are experts in recognizing limitations, weaknesses and imbalances that could lead to series injuries or disabling conditions down the line.
Physical therapists are trained to help people of all ages with a range of conditions but what therapists specialize in may vary by practice setting or years of experience. At A2 Physical Therapy our specialities include: LSVT for Parkinson’s, unique treatment plans and high success rate with lower back pain, young athletes, SIJ pain and dysfunction, and cervicogenic pain/migraine relief. With this knowledge, patients are better equipped to find the right therapist to treat their injuries or illnesses. No matter what setting physical therapists work in or what they specialize in, they share a common goal: To help patients recover from illness or injury and to maintain or regain safe, functional mobility.
YOUR HEALTH IS OUR COMMITMENT
"Last Sunday I played full court basketball for the first time in 15 years. I will qualify the contest by saying it happened on a court just out of the back door of an elder care center. The teams consisted of a 7 year old, an d8 year old, a young woman in flip-flops (I played in sandals), a woman who proudly stated she was 55 years old (I retorted with my age of 65), and a couple of other young guys that really played well. I ran the court, I played defense, blocked shots, made shots (missed a lot), got lots of rebounds, and talked a lot of smack while playing with a group of people a lot younger than me. I even made a behind the back-twisting fall-away shot, then fell and tumbled on the court. I jumped up and continued to play, and we played for about 45 minutes.
I attribute my ability to play this game that I love so much again to the excellent training receive from Kristy who is a trainer at A2 Physical Therapy. I have worked out and trained since I was very young. I played high school basketball, baseball, and I ran track. I spent 20 years in the Army with all the training requirements associated with that occupation. I played on community and city leagues, and I have trained with weights for many years. The training program Kristy has devised for me at A2 is rigorous, thorough, diverse, fun, challenging, and focused. She prepares workout plans that are age and fitness level appropriate. My work out now is so much different then it was when I first started. She both trains me individually and as a couple. I run, jump, stretch, lift, balance, squat, push, pull, and every other movement you can imagine. I look forward to going to my workout every time. Kristy is completely in charge of every workout. I am retired, and my training at A2 allows me to fill the need to accomplish something positive every day I work out. I am doing physical activity with ease that I would not have thought I would be able be able to accomplish at the age of 65 such as hiking on Mt Rainer and running 4 days per week. Kristy and A2 have really changed my life…"
− William
"I’ve had 4 surgeries with different physical therapy clinics and this was my favorite. I felt comfortable and felt like I mattered to my PT which was a good feeling. My progress was as I had expected and any time I had a question or concern it was always answered and my PT adjusted. If it needed to be to avoid the pain I had I didn’t feel pressured to have more PT appointments or pressured to do workouts that aggravated my pain. Thank you for your help! I think offering stem and ultrasound for every patient will be really beneficial. Great experience overall."
− A.S.
"Danny was fantastic; he was able to quickly diagnose my issues and construct a plan for recovery that began showing results in a couple weeks. 10/10 would recommend to everyone."
− Veronica