What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy, or physiotherapy, is treatment that helps you improve how your body performs physical movements. It can be part of a generalized pain management plan or a specific treatment for an injury or health condition. It’s common to need physical therapy after many types of surgery, too. You might also need physical therapy to help prevent injuries before they happen. It’s a combination of exercises, stretches and movements that will increase your strength, flexibility and mobility to help you move safely and more confidently. At Hanes Total Healthcare Center, we are here to help you feel better and enjoy the recovery process. We can offer muscle rehabilitation for pain, and other techniques to reduce recovery times and reduce the chances of reinjury.
What does physical therapy treat?
Most people start physical therapy after a healthcare provider diagnoses an injury or condition. Examples include:
- Sports injuries
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Knee pain
- Hip Pain
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Tendinopathy (including tendinitis)
- Rotator cuff tears
- Knee alignment injuries (like ACL tears)
- Temporomandibular (TMJ) disorders
- Concussions
- Strokes
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
You might need physiotherapy to manage a chronic condition, including:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cerebral palsy
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Muscular dystrophy
- Parkinson's disease
- Cystic fibrosis
What are the types of physical therapy?
Physical therapy is a combination of hands-on techniques (a therapist moving part of your body) and exercises or movements you perform with a physical therapist’s supervision. Physical therapy can include:
- Stretching
- Strength training (with or without weights or exercise equipment)
- Massage
- Heat or cold therapy
- Hydro Massage
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
- Dry Needling
- Ultrasound
Our Physical Therapist will perform a comprehensive evaluation including a series of tests, a physical exam, and possibly even ordering imaging tests to determine the extent of your injuries. Physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles, improve mobility and range of motion, and get the muscle back to its original form before it was injured. We might also suggest other techniques, such as chiropractic adjustments, dry needling, and soft tissue therapy such as massages. These can help alleviate stress and muscle pain, reduce inflammation, and boost circulation in order to help promote healing.