By Kate Zanoni, LPTA
October is National Physical Therapy Month! The annual commemoration, held by the American Physical Therapy Association (or APTA), is designed to recognize the impact that physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) make on their patients’ lives.
Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants use hands-on manual therapy treatments and prescriptive exercises to help their patients restore mobility and strength, improving activities of daily living, sleep quality and recreational activities. Due to the rise in opioid abuse in the United States, the Center for Disease Control urges doctors to offer patients safer alternatives, including physical therapy, for long-term pain management and pain relief. PTs and PTAs treat acute and chronic pain through manual joint and soft tissue mobilization and stretching to improve flexibility and range of motion as well as specifically targeted strengthening exercises to increase functional strength.
Five Things You May Not Know About the Physical Therapy Field:
- WW I and the 1916 Polio outbreak led to a national and international need for rehabilitation to treat soldiers and children. The field provided career opportunities for woman and in 1918, the term ‘Reconstruction Aide’ was given to those practicing physical therapy.
- Physical therapy is a female-dominant field. 70 percent of the practitioners are women.
- Many studies have shown that physical therapy can be more effective than surgery to address knee and back conditions.
- Conditions you may not know can be treated by a physical therapist include dizziness, headaches, concussions and jaw pain.
- In many states, physical therapists can be seen without a doctor’s order because the profession has evolved from a bachelor’s to a doctorate degree.
A Different Kind of Physical Therapy
At Loudoun Sports Therapy Center, we understand that there is no cookie-cutter approach to any injury or condition. Our therapists and Certified Athletic Trainers educate patients on different types of pain and address the root cause, leading to optimal long-term outcomes versus masking the pain over a short time period with medication.
Each patient receives individually tailored exercises aimed at meeting their specific needs and goals. Our clinical staff provides patients with the tools they need to increase their daily functional abilities, regardless of their goals- whether it’s reaching into a cabinet to put dishes away, going up and down stairs, returning to the football field or running a 5K. Our patients’ goals are important to us! To increase their long-term success, we build a comprehensive home exercise plan over the course of their care to ensure they remain mobile and strong long after they finish their prescribed visits.