Physical therapy, defined, is the branch of rehabilitative health which applies various forms of exercises, assistive tools and equipment. One can easily find orthopaedic physical therapy in Media, Pennsylvania specifically designed for the purpose of assisting people to allow them to regain or improve physical disabilities brought about by accident or illnesses.
Physical therapy aims to restore a patient’s ability to function fully by minimizing any physical impairment, disability-related congenital as well as acquired conditions, and also functional limitations. In instances wherein movement is limited and pain is experience, physical therapy might be a recommended course of treatment.
Orthopaedic physical therapy should include the following:
Initial evaluation should be done first to thoroughly determine the services and treatment that is best for the patient. Some test and measures might be required to validate the conclusion of the therapist.
Depending on the medical condition of the patient, orthopaedic physical therapy will also cover pain reduction. It could be with the use of heat, ice or any other modalities as seen fit by the therapist.
Next, the care of plan will be discussed and as soon as the patient agrees and expresses commitment to the program, orthopaedic physical therapy will then commence. As the program is implemented, its progress should be accessed regularly to ensure it is getting the expected results. If not, then there might be a need for re-evaluation and adjustment of the program.
Part of any orthopaedic physical therapy in Media, Pennsylvania care of plan is patient education. It is important to educate the patient on the injury, what caused it and how it can be prevented. If needed, a patient’s home can also be rearranged to support the patient’s lifestyle change to make it easier for his or her to live with an illness. This can be especially true for patient’s living with arthritis and or chronic low back pain.
For patients who are recovering from major orthopaedic surgeries, education is especially important so that re-injury can be prevented. In the case of ACL patients, they need to avoid activities that would make them prone to re-injuries like playing active sports. Orthopaedic physical therapy should not only cover the patient’s current situation but should also prepare the patient on how to avoid more injuries in the future.
For amputees, orthopaedic physical therapy can also help the patient with assistive tools and equipments like prosthetics.