What Is Physical Therapy?

One popular treatment that can help you recover from surgery or an injury, or manage the symptoms of a medical condition that limits your movement, is physical therapy. You may move more securely and confidently by increasing your strength, flexibility, and mobility via a variety of workouts, stretches, and movements.

What is physical therapy (physiotherapy)?

The goal of physical therapy, often known as physiotherapy, is to help you get better at the physical movements your body makes. It may be a component of an overall pain management strategy or a targeted therapy for a specific disease or injury. Following various forms of surgery, physical rehabilitation is also frequently required. Physical therapy may also be necessary to prevent injuries before they occur.

A physical therapist, a medical professional, will work with you and ensure your safety during treatment.

The length of time you require physical therapy is determined by the injuries or conditions you have and the body part that requires assistance moving more freely. Some people just require a few weeks of physical treatment to fix a temporary problem. Others require it for months or years in order to control the symptoms of a long-term, chronic condition.

What does physical therapy treat?

The majority of patients begin physical therapy following a diagnosis from a medical professional. Some examples are as follows:

• Sports injuries.
• Neck pain.
• Back pain.
• Knee pain.
• Hip pain.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Tendinopathy (including tendinitis).
• Rotator cuff tears.
• Knee ligament injuries (like ACL tears).
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
• Concussions.
• Strokes.
• Spinal cord injuries.
• Traumatic brain injuries.

In order to manage a chronic disease, you may require physiotherapy, such as:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Cerebral palsy.
• Multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Muscular dystrophy.
• Parkinson’s disease.
• Cystic fibrosis.

How many types of physical therapy are there?

Although it’s hard to pinpoint the precise number, there might be dozens of different kinds of PT. New specialties and methods are always emerging in the constantly developing profession of physical therapy.

Furthermore, physical therapists frequently create their own special approaches or treatment plans based on their knowledge and experiences.

The following are some common forms of PT:

• Orthopedic PT
• Neurological PT
• Sports PT
• Pediatric PT
• Geriatric PT
• Cardiovascular and pulmonary PT
• Women’s health PT
• Vestibular and balance therapy

Orthopedic PT: Musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, including fractures, sprains, and joint replacements, are the focus of orthopedic physical therapy.

Neurological PT: Multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke are among the neurological disorders that are treated with neurological physical therapy.

Sports PT: Sports physical therapy aims to improve performance and help in healing for athletes and sports-related conditions.

Pediatric PT: Pediatric physical therapy attends to the special requirements of kids who have injuries, genetic diseases, or developmental delays.

Geriatric Physical Therapy: Geriatric physical therapy treats age-related conditions in older adults, including osteoporosis, arthritis, and balance problems.

Cardiovascular and pulmonary PT: People with heart and lung disorders are the main goal of this kind of physical therapy, which includes cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.

Women’s health PT: Prenatal and postpartum care, pelvic floor dysfunction, and diseases including urine incontinence are the main topics of women’s health physical therapy.

Vestibular and balance therapy: This kind of physical therapy uses specific exercises and methods to treat vertigo, dizziness, and balance issues.

Different techniques in physical therapy

Physical therapists use a variety of methods to treat a variety of diseases and complete particular treatment objectives.

These are a few common PT techniques:

• Therapeutic exercise
• Manual therapy
• Electrotherapy
• Heat and cold therapy
• Hydrotherapy
• Balance and proprioceptive training
• Blood flow restriction therapy (BFR)
• Ultrasound

Therapeutic exercise: Strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, and coordination are all enhanced by this variety of exercises and movements. Exercise recommendations from therapists are based on your individual needs and condition.

Manual therapy: A physical therapist can increase joint mobility, manipulate soft tissues, and mobilize joints by using manual therapies.

Electrotherapy: Electrotherapy uses electrical stimulation (e-stim) to enhance muscular function, reduce pain, and promote tissue repair. Electrical muscle stimulation and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) are two examples.

Heat and cold therapy: Pain, inflammation, and muscular spasms can all be reduced by applying heat and cold. PT frequently uses contrast baths, ice massage, hot packs, and cold packs.

Hydrotherapy: The buoyancy of the water reduces the pressure on joints and muscles during hydrotherapy, which involves exercises done in a pool or other aquatic setting. According to one study, water exercise for persistent lower back pain reduced disability more over the long term than other physical treatment techniques including TENS and infrared thermal therapy.

Balance and proprioceptive training: Enhancing proprioception (awareness of body position), balance, and coordination are the main goals of these methods. They use specific workouts and activities to increase stability and lower the risk of falls.

Blood flow restriction therapy (BFR): Applying a customized band or cuff over a limb to partially stop blood and oxygen flow during exercise or other activities is known as BFR. Muscle growth, a quicker recovery, increased cardiovascular fitness, and less pain have been shown in one trial that used BFR in rehabilitation.

Ultrasound: Ultrasound treatment produces heat deep inside the tissues by using high-frequency sound pulses. It is widely used to increase blood flow, decrease pain and muscle spasms, and aid in tissue repair.

What kind of physical treatment is most commonly used?

Orthopedic physical therapy can be the most popular type. Wounds, surgical repair, and chronic conditions affecting your bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons are all covered.

Given the popularity of sports and the increasing frequency of injuries associated to them, sports physical therapy is also in great demand. Sports physiotherapists help athletes prevent injury, recover from it, and improve their overall performance.

What is the purpose of physical therapy?

Here are some typical circumstances in which physical therapy may be helpful:

• Injury recovery
• Chronic pain management
• Rehabilitation after surgery
• Neurological conditions
• Age-related issues
• Sports injuries and performance
• Rehabilitation for disabilities
• Work-related injuries

Injury recovery: Physical therapy aids in pain relief, mobility, and injury healing.

Chronic pain management: Physical therapy helps with flexibility, daily functioning, and managing chronic pain.

Rehabilitation after surgery: PT helps patients recover from surgery by increasing their mobility and function.

Neurological conditions: Physical therapy enhances mobility, balance, and coordination by treating neurological diseases.

Age-related issues:  PT helps older persons become flexible, strong, and independent.

Sports injuries and performance: Physical therapy improves performance and treats problems associated to sports.

Rehabilitation for disabilities: PT helps people with impairments become independent and have better motor skills.

Work-related injuries: PT helps people recover from injuries sustained at work by easing their pain and enabling a safe return to work.

Benefits of physical therapy

The following advantages are provided by PT:

• reduction of pain and increased mobility
• improved flexibility and strength
• improved coordination and balance
• quicker recovery from operations or injuries
• prevention of future challenges
• instruction on self-management strategies
• enhanced physical function overall
• increased standard of living

Summary

For many diseases and injuries, physical therapy, sometimes referred to as physiotherapy, is a common treatment. After surgery, it’s also a typical rehabilitation stage. You may increase your strength, flexibility, and mobility with physical therapy, no matter whether you require a few sessions following an injury or ongoing support in managing a chronic disease.

PT is a vital healthcare profession that helps people with a variety of diseases recover, manage their pain, and become more productive. To accommodate varying populations and injuries, physical therapy comes in a variety of forms.

FAQ’s

References:

• Professional, C. C. M. (2025, January 24). Physical therapy (Physiotherapy). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/physical-therapy
• Pedersen, T. (2023, July 17). What are the types of physical therapy? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-physical-therapy#summary
• Physical therapist. (2024, June 3). Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/physical-therapist