Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy

No matter what area of the body ails you – neck, shoulder, back, knee – physical therapy (PT) has an established history of helping individuals improve their quality of life. A physical therapist can help you move freely again without pain and discomfort and feeling renewed and ready to move on. They can even help you prevent an injury altogether.

Physical therapists (PT) can help enhance mobility and quality of life by improving strength, balance, endurance, flexibility and posture. In the hospital, rehab hospital or long-term care facility, most treatment sessions take place either in a hospital room or “therapy gym.” You may see stationary bicycles, treadmills, arm bikes as well as machines like the leg press. Your loved one may perform exercises lying down in bed or on a padded mat table to improve ability to get in and out of bed.

Physical therapists apply research and proven techniques to help people get back in motion. All physical therapists are required to receive a graduate degree – either a master’s degree or a clinical doctorate — from an accredited physical therapist program before taking the national licensure examination that allows them to practice. They are trusted health care professionals with extensive clinical experience who examine, diagnose, and then prevent or treat conditions that limit the body’s ability to move and function in daily life.

Physical Therapy Can Help You With:

  • Arthritis
  • Back Pain
  • Fitness
  • Knee Pain
  • Obesity
  • Osteoporosis
  • Overuse Injuries
  • Shoulder Pain
  • Stroke
  • Sprains, strains, and fractures
  • And much more

Pediatric PT

We make pediatric therapy fun and engaging, while helping each child achieve their goals. Physical therapists children regain and improve their overall mobility. Helping Hands therapists use special pediatric equipment to maximize therapy outcomes, along with toys and play.

Physical therapists can evaluate the following skills and areas:

  • Muscle strength and coordination
  • Range of motion
  • Movement
  • Balance
  • Motor skills
  • Comfort
  • Pain
  • Posture
  • Adaptive equipment (fitting for proper wheelchair/walker, ankle/leg braces, etc.)

Physical therapy services benefit children with:

  • Developmental delays
  • Diabetes
  • Genetic disorders
  • Neuromuscular conditions
  • Orthopedic disorders
  • Sports injuries
  • Decreased mobility
  • Lack of coordination and/or balance
  • High-risk infants
  • Burns

Examples of Pediatric Physical Therapy include:

  • Rehabilitation exercise such as stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercise
  • Thermal treatments like heat, ice and ultrasound
  • Electrical stimulation
  • Patient education including home programs
  • Traction
  • Taping
  • Fitting for orthotics or braces

Adult and Geriatric Physical Therapy

Treatment focuses on:

  • Spine and Extremity rehabilitation
  • Sports rehabilitation
  • Joint and soft tissue mobilization
  • Functional mobility training
  • Gait and balance training
  • Neuromuscular re-education
  • Therapeutic exercise
  • Aerobic conditioning
  • Pain evaluation and treatment
  • Equipment prescription (ambulation devices and orthotics)

Who benefits from Physical Therapy? Patients with:

  • Arm or leg injuries
  • Chronic conditions like arthritis or MS
  • Limitations resulting from a stroke, heart attack, burn, or amputation
  • Generalized deconditioning
  • Sprain, strain or fracture
  • Work-related, repetitive-stress injury such as tendonitis or bursitis
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Surgical repair of arm, leg or spine
  • Open wounds
  • Neurological conditions or history of stroke.
  • Loss of balance or difficulty walking