What is a physical therapist?
Physical therapists diagnose and address injuries or medical conditions hindering the body's natural movement and functioning through training and licensure. Physical therapists focus on specific treatments that reduce the need for prescriptive drugs and surgery. They use a combination of stretches, exercise, special equipment, and hands-on techniques to relieve pain and restore muscle function.Â
Primary care doctors or specialists often refer most patients suffering from a disease or injury to a physical therapist. Physical therapists work to correct muscle and joint movements, improve physical mobility, manage chronic pain conditions, and help improve quality of life.
What training do physical therapists receive?
Physical therapists practicing in the US must earn a DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy). Most DPT programs are three years long and cover biology, physiology, exercise physiology, anatomy, kinesiology, neuroscience, behavioral sciences, and pathology. Around 80% of the DPT curriculum focuses on classroom lessons and lab studies, while the remaining 20% involves hands-on clinical education. After graduating, physical therapists have to pass a state licensure exam to be eligible to practice.
What conditions do physical therapists treat?
Physical therapists can diagnose and treat various conditions, such as:
- Back pain: While some forms of back pain are mild, some can be unbearable and interfere with daily activities. Its causes include arthritis, spinal conditions, spondylosis, injuries, sprains, fibromyalgia, liver and kidney problems, etc. Based on what is causing the pain, physical therapists can help you manage it through repeated motion programs, stabilization exercises, spinal manipulations, and mobilization exercises.
- Lymphedema: Your lymphatic system gathers excess fluids, proteins, and toxins from your cells and transports them into your bloodstream. Lymphedema occurs when swelling in different parts of your body affects the lymphatic system. Physical therapists can facilitate the movement of lymphatic fluids to reduce pain and inflammation. Further, they can teach you manual lymphatic drainage, a series of gentle massage techniques you can perform yourself to improve circulation.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome: This condition causes pain, weakness, and tingling in your hands and wrists. It happens due to increased pressure on your meridian nerve. Physical therapists can perform gliding exercises focusing on your tendons and nerves to decrease pain and increase mobility.
Additionally, you might benefit from physical therapy after concussions, rotator cuff tears, spinal cord injuries, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Physical therapists can also help with chronic illnesses that make it difficult for you to move, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and cystic fibrosis. Â
What does a visit to a physical therapist entail?
Physical therapists can treat mobility issues in patients of all ages, from infants and children to the elderly. They may discuss the patient's concerns and general health history. Next, they observe their walk and posture while standing and make them perform various physical tasks to arrive at a proper diagnosis. They design a customized care plan per their observation, medical expertise, available medical research, and the patient's goals and expectations.Â
Physical therapists also evaluate patients' responses and progress to the care plan and make modifications when required. They ensure the treatment plan is implemented correctly for optimal health outcomes for the patient.
Regular physical therapy sessions help to identify weak areas in your body that may be prone to bodily injury. Physical therapists can recommend lifestyle adjustments, healthcare routines, and regular screenings to strengthen weak areas and prevent damage.Â
How can physical therapy help with sports rehabilitation?
Physical therapy can help patients recovering from surgery and those with limited mobility due to weakness or pain after a sports injury. Physical therapy is highly customized to meet the specific mobility needs of the patient. Therefore, it is implausible that two patients or injuries have the same physical therapy plan.Â
Sports rehabilitation needs detailed and careful evaluation to ensure the player regains core muscle strength and mobility to play competitive sports again. Therefore, the physical therapist first identifies and understands the injured area. A continuous passive motion machine (CPM) moves the muscles and joints slowly to reduce pain and swelling, gradually improving motion and preventing stiffness. The extent of the damage to prepare the most suitable physical therapy treatment plan. Depending on the injury, the therapy recommended by the physical therapists may include:
- Active therapy: Active therapy involves specific exercises for improved physical functions. The physical therapist may teach strengthening and stretching exercises to heal the weak and injured muscles. It helps regain strength in injured parts, muscles, or joints, restore critical bodily functions, and reduce pain. Active physical therapy is crucial to prevent muscular atrophy, which can occur due to extended immobility.Â
- Passive therapy: Healthcare professionals often recommend passive therapy for post-surgery patients, where the patient is not required to participate in the treatment actively. A continuous passive motion machine (CPM) moves the muscles and joints slowly to reduce pain and swelling, gradually improving motion and preventing stiffness. The physical therapist may manually stretch or move the patient's body to enhance bodily functions.
- Manual therapy: The physical therapist may use manual therapy in certain sports rehabilitation cases. It involves performing soft tissue massages and manipulations to ease pain and discomfort. They may use specific techniques such as electrical stimulation and ultrasound to improve blood circulation, break up scar tissue, loosen tiger muscle tissues, and relieve inflammation and pain.Â
Effective physical therapy increases lymphatic drainage and cellular metabolism and relieves pain, thus accelerating healing. It can dramatically reduce the need for surgery and help athletes return to competitive sports as soon as possible.
How to find the best physical therapist near you in Westfield, New Jersey
If you already have a health plan, choosing an in-network provider can save you money. Your ideal physical therapist will accept your insurance, be available when needed, and offer you a say in your healthcare decisions. But how do you find such a qualified and experienced physical therapist from endless online profiles, websites, and directories? The answer is simple: Log in to Zocdoc.Â
With Zocdoc, you can easily find the best and the most experienced physical therapists in Westfield, New Jersey, that suit your healthcare requirements. So, create a free account on Zocdoc. Next, choose your specialty or condition, location, date, and insurance plan. A comprehensive list of doctors based on your search criteria will appear. If you have insurance, simply include your insurance carrier's name in the search. The website will show you the best physical therapists who accept your plan.
At Zocdoc, we believe in long-term, trustworthy patient-doctor relationships. Each physical therapist near you has a unique profile on the platform. You can read about their educational qualifications, board certifications, clinical interests, expertise, experience, and spoken languages there.Â
 Our verified patient reviews, detailed provider profiles, and user ratings can help you make an informed decision before visiting a physical therapist. You can even perform an area-specific search on Zocdoc to locate a licensed physical therapist near you. You can cap down search results based on gender when seeking female or male physical therapists in Westfield, New Jersey.Â
You can also book video appointments on Zocdoc before an in-person visit to better understand your physical therapist. Look for a purple video icon on physical therapists' profiles or filter the video appointment selection.Â
Book appointments with the best physical therapist near you who accepts your insurance plan in real time. All bookings on Zocdoc are simple, secure, and free!
Statistics on high school sports injuries, chronic pain, New Jersey, USA
According to the May 2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the USA had about 225,350 practicing physical therapists. New Jersey had about 7400 practicing physical therapists at the rate of 1.92 per 1000 people.
According to the 2021/22 National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, from 2005/06 to 2021/22 (17-year study period), participating schools reported about 116,594 sports-related injuries during 59,295,404 athletic exposures (AE). The study reported a total of 61,099 competition injuries during 14,888,859 competition athletic exposures, indicating an injury rate of about 4.10 injuries per 1000 exposures for the 24 sports disciplines included in the study. About 55,213 injuries were reported from 43,891,422 during practice AE, at a rate of about 1.26 injuries per 1000 AE. During 515,123 performance adverse events, performers reported about 282 injuries, resulting in an injury rate of approximately 0.55 per 1000 adverse events. Across all sports, about 13.5% of injuries prevented student-athletes from playing for over three weeks. About 8.5% of all sports-related injuries resulted in surgery during or after the athletic season.Â
The 2019 US data published by the National Center for Health Statistics states that in the three months, the prevalence of chronic pain among adults was about 20.4%, and that of high-impact chronic pain was about 7.4%. At about 21.7% and 8.5%, adult women are more susceptible to chronic and high-impact chronic pain, compared to about 19.0% and 6.3% of men, respectively. Incidence of chronic pain was highest among adults in the 65+ age group ( 30.8%) and lowest among adults in the 18-29 age group (8.5%).
Further, the incidence of high-impact chronic pain was highest among adults in the 65+ age group (11.8%) and lowest among adults in the 18-29 age group(2.2%). Chronic pain, injuries, and other mishaps are unavoidable regardless of age. New Jersey is well-equipped to manage the statistical impact mentioned above.
Sources
Medical News Today
WebMD[1]
WebMD[2]
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
American Physical Therapy Association
Endeavor Physical Therapy & Wellness
US Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Federation of State High School Associations
National Center for Health Statistics
Cleveland Clinic[1]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
Cleveland Clinic[3]
Cleveland Clinic[4]
Cleveland Clinic[5]
Cleveland Clinic[6]
Cleveland Clinic[7]
American Physical Therapy Association
