Physical therapy has evolved from simply teaching an injured person how to walk again all the way to rehabilitating wounded veterans in using their new prosthetic hands. As medical technology has become so specialized, and doctors can now restore capability and mobility to people who never before would have had that chance, physical therapy has evolved to adjust to these new advancements.
Even with this evolution in the field of physiotherapy, it maintains the basics. Gentle exercises, stretches, massage therapy, and hot and cold therapeutic treatments are all still a core component of physical therapy.
Let’s talk about the various types of physical therapy and how they may be able to benefit you.
Rehabilitative Physical Therapy
Physical rehabilitation is key in recovering from a major surgery. Rehab usually begins while the patient is still in the hospital, and it continues after they are discharged and must re-learn how to move and perform simple tasks around the house.
Physical rehab is also done for athletes after an injury. Sports injuries can happen to athletes of all ages, from gymnasts in elementary school to golfers during retirement.
During rehabilitation, you will learn simple exercises to do on a regular basis in order to make your body stronger, more flexible, and with greater range of motion. Your physical therapist (PT) will explain how often the exercises should be done, and the PT will be available to you if you have any questions or are experiencing too much pain when performing certain exercises.
Occupational Physical Therapy
This is usually prescribed following an accident at work or a repetitive-use injury. This type of physical therapy is designed to teach you the proper ways to perform a job, such as lifting from the knees rather than with the back, standing up from your desk and walking around on a regular basis, and performing work activities with the proper posture.
Occupational therapists treat the whole person, not just the injured part. This approach is a general wellness-type approach to physical therapy that focuses on total health and full rehabilitation.
Hand Therapy
This type of therapy is for people who have suffered a hand or upper arm injury. The goal is for patients to regain as much usage as possible of their hand and fingers, and to avoid the injury from recurring.
Hand therapy is now routine for people who have arthritis in their hands, carpal tunnel syndrome, or tendonitis in the hand. Of course, there is a lot of overlap between hand therapy, occupational therapy, and traditional physical therapy.
Manual Physical Therapy
The traditional manual massage is incorporated into physical therapy as beneficial to injured or painful muscles and joints. This is an excellent form of therapy after being injured in an accident or when rehabilitating after surgery.
A physical therapist can perform massage therapy in order to gently stretch and work sore areas of the body. The therapist may also show you how to stretch and massage those areas and maintain the benefits received from physical therapy on your own. This may include ice and heat therapy.
Physical Therapy in Greater Detroit
Physical therapy is always about fostering proper healing and regaining control and function of an area of the body that is injured or hurting. It can also be done in an effort to avoid or delay surgery.
If you are looking for a physical therapist and you are in or near Clinton Township, Michigan, Movement Orthopedics is here for you. Contact our friendly team today by calling (586) 436-3785 or request an appointment online, and let us help you get back to the active lifestyle you love.
