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Who is a physical therapist?

Physical therapists specialize in diagnosing and treating patients with limited mobility or functionality. Bodily injuries or medical disorders can cause such limitations. A physical therapist can help if your movement or range of motion problems are related to the musculoskeletal or neurological systems. They can also help with mobility dysfunction caused by chronic debilitating heart, lung, or skin disorders. 

A physical therapist uses a combination of patient education, exercise, and hands-on care to help improve quality of life. From infants to older people, they treat people of all ages. Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, athletics facilities, and schools employ physical therapists. They are not physicians but must complete specialized higher education programs before practicing. Physical therapists need not be board-certified, but many choose to complete the certification to better their career prospects.

A primary care physician or specialist may refer you to a physical therapist if necessary. You can also approach a physical therapist if you need help maintaining your health and preventing any mobility problems you may foresee.

What are some of the conditions that physical therapists treat?

Physical therapy is a non-invasive rehabilitative discipline that improves your health, way, and quality of life. It is a combination of therapies that includes stretching, massage, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and specific exercises.

Because of the various treatments available, the list of conditions treated by a physical therapist is extensive. It includes neurological disorders such as Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease, genetic or musculoskeletal disorders, sports injuries, or typical issues such as dizziness, headaches, and back and neck pain. They can also treat various spinal conditions, such as degenerative disc disorder, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, sacroiliitis, and sciatica. Physical therapy can also help manage other diseases such as arthritis, muscular dystrophy, osteoporosis, obesity, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Physical therapy and surgery

You may be aware of physical therapy, which is often part of post-surgery recovery to ensure the patient regains complete movement after being confined to the bed for a long time. What is lesser known is that physical therapy has pre-surgery benefits, too. Quite often recommended before orthopedic procedures, it involves stretches and exercises to prep your body for surgery. Pre and post-surgery physical therapy can positively impact the mental state of patients besides aiding in faster physical recovery. 

Pre-surgery benefits: Undergoing physical therapy before the surgery helps reduce anxiety and apprehension about the procedure and anesthesia. Your therapist can help prepare you for changes in your lifestyle after the surgery, even temporarily. For instance, they can help you with recommendations on assistive devices you will likely need following the surgery, such as walkers or canes.

Strength training and flexibility exercises before the surgical procedure can help you recover your mobility more quickly afterward. It can decrease the risk of postoperative complications. You could also ask the physical therapist near you to help you plan a recovery zone within the home to make life easy for you. They can help you organize an area of your home for therapeutic rest by removing any movement-hindering objects or furniture and setting up a comfortable, relaxing spot. 

Post-surgery benefits: The type of physical therapy you need will depend on your surgery. Your daily physical therapy schedule will likely include assisted exercises and training in using mobility assistive devices. You might even need to re-learn simple things such as getting dressed that might prove difficult due to the surgery. In addition, your therapist will have to ensure that all this takes place without causing you any strain. The physical therapist will determine the treatment plan best suited for your needs in consultation with your doctor.

The effect of physical therapy on mental health 

Any disease or disability that affects physical well-being will also impact the individual's mental state. The stress caused by apprehension over your condition, fear of impending surgery, and the pain following surgery can all lead to mental health problems. Physical therapy helps alleviate pain and even eliminate it in some cases. Lesser pain, in turn, can improve your mood and help you eradicate depressive thoughts.

Your physical condition can harm your self-esteem, and therapy can help boost it. Participating in physical exercises can inculcate a sense of achievement and leave you feeling better about yourself. Physical therapy encourages better sleep; being well-rested each night can help your brain rejuvenate. Adequate sleep can combat stress and anxiety and give you a better outlook on life.

Occupational therapy vs. physical therapy

Physical and occupational therapy share many similarities but have distinct differences in their approach to a patient's rehabilitative care. One fundamental difference is that physical therapy improves patients' ability to move their bodies. In contrast, occupational therapists focus on improving the patient's ability to perform activities in their day-to-day life. Besides, physical therapy's foundation is bodily rehabilitation, whereas occupational therapy is in mental healthcare and physical rehabilitation. 

Occupational therapy heavily focuses on adapting, modifying, or changing the daily activities an individual is required to or wants to do. They might alter the activity, environment, or person's skills. At the person's skill level, an occupational therapist might help an individual improve their fine motor skills (small movements made with their upper body). These movements are necessary for daily activities such as picking up a toothbrush, brushing their teeth, using a phone, or driving. 

For individuals with mental health-related issues, an occupational therapist might improve their skills by increasing positive coping strategies to function correctly.

How can physical therapy help with sports rehabilitation?

Physical therapy is a vital aspect of sports rehabilitation. It helps patients recover faster from surgery. It also improves physical movement in people suffering from mobility issues due to weakness and pain after a sports injury. No two physical therapy plans are identical, as each program is tailored to the individual patient's needs.

Sports rehabilitation needs detailed and careful physical evaluation to ensure the player regains core muscle strength and mobility to return to playing competitive sports. Therefore, the physical therapist must first identify the injured area and understand the extent of the damage to prepare a suitable physical therapy treatment plan. Depending on the injury, the different types of therapy recommended by physical therapists may include the following:

• Manual therapy

Physical therapists may apply manual therapy in certain sports rehabilitation cases. It involves performing soft tissue massages and manipulations to ease pain and discomfort. Physical therapists may use specific techniques such as electrical stimulation and ultrasound to improve blood circulation, break up scar tissue, loosen tight muscle tissues, and relieve inflammation and pain. Manual therapy can aid in faster healing and restore physical mobility.

• Active therapy

Active therapy involves specific exercises to improve physical movement. The exercise routine may include strengthening and stretching exercises to heal the weak muscles near the injury site. These routines help reduce pain and restore strength and motion in the injured body parts, muscles, or joints. Active physical therapy is crucial to prevent muscular atrophy, which can occur due to extended immobility. 

• Passive therapy

Passive therapy is mainly recommended to patients who underwent surgery. The patient does not actively participate in the passive therapy treatment. Instead, a continuous passive motion (CPM) machine slowly moves the muscles and joints. It improves the range of motion, prevents stiffness, and reduces pain and swelling. The physical therapist may also manually stretch or move the patient's body to relax specific muscles and enhance bodily functions.

Effective physical therapy programs can help relieve pain and increase lymphatic drainage and cellular metabolism, accelerating healing. It can dramatically reduce the need for surgery and help athletes return to competitive sports as soon as possible.

Locate the best physical therapy near you in West Orange, NJ

If you have mobility issues or movement limitations, it might adversely impact the quality of your life. These limitations can hamper daily activities, leaving you frustrated. Consulting a physical therapist near you can help you regain your functionality. At Zocdoc, our extensive database of medical practitioners and therapists makes it easy to find the best physical therapy near you that meets your requirements. 

You can check if the physical therapist is within your insurance network before you book an appointment. The unique search filters available on Zocdoc will let you do this easily. Use gender, location, experience, and qualification filters to narrow your preferences from the hundreds of options. After you enter the required criteria, our advanced algorithm will show you a list of possible matches. 

Patient reviews, as well as education and experience, are detailed under each profile of the therapists. You can also look for providers offering the best physical therapy near you with hours that match your schedule. You may find a physical therapist near you offering same-day or late appointments that suit your workday. All bookings with Zocdoc are quick, secure, and free!

Statistics on physical therapists and disability in New Jersey

According to the 2021 data reported by a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study, the New York-Newark-Jersey City region had about 16,100 practicing physical therapists. The availability of many physical therapists increases the probability of finding one in West Orange who matches all your requirements. The Disability and Health Data System (DHDS) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that about 35% of adults in New Jersey have a select functional disability.

Data from the State of New Jersey Department of Health indicates over 1.8 million non-fatal work-related injuries from 2010-2019. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common, with 195,688 reported during this period. About 48% of these MSDs affected the back, 27% involved the shoulders, neck, and upper extremities, and 1% was carpal tunnel syndrome. These are all disorders that can benefit from physical therapy treatments.

Sources

International Spine, Pain & Performance Center

XO Physical Therapy

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

WebMD

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

H2 Health

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Elite Sports Injury

Whitehall of Deerfield

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

State of New Jersey Department of Health

Endeavor Physical Therapy and Wellness

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.