Physical Therapy Services | RUSH (2024)

FAQs

What are the 4 main types of physical therapy? ›

Stretching. Strength training (with or without weights or exercise equipment). Massage. Heat or cold therapy.

Use exercises, stretching maneuvers, hands-on therapy, and equipment to ease patients' pain, help them increase their mobility, prevent further pain or injury, and facilitate health and wellness. Evaluate and record a patients' progress, modifying the plan of care and trying new treatments as needed.

Physical therapy, also known as physiotherapy, may include exercises, massages and various treatments based on physical stimuli (e.g. heat, cold, electrical currents or ultrasound). The aim of physical therapy is to relieve pain, help you move better or strengthen weakened muscles.

The most popular physical therapy specialty is orthopedic physical therapy, which involves treating conditions of the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints.

A physical therapist creates personalized treatment plans, typically involving a set of prescribed exercises. They also may use techniques such as electrical stimulation, joint manipulation (gentle, hands-on joint adjustments), or massage to reduce pain and promote healing.

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

You should plan on making an appointment with your physical therapist two to three times per week. Depending on what condition you are in and the amount of work that needs to be done, you may need to plan for more appointments each week. As you progress over time, you may be able to put less work in.

Depending on the ailment at hand, your therapist might teach you a series of low-impact exercises to work on, both at your appointment and at home. These exercises are usually designed to strengthen or stretch a certain area to help alleviate discomfort or further damage to an area.

But here's a quick overview to help you think about how long your PT might take: Minor injuries: 2-3 sessions. Soft tissue injuries: 6-8 weeks. Chronic or serious conditions: 2-3+ months.

What's the hardest part of physical therapist? ›

You'll get conservative, yet effective treatment — Physical therapy provides conservative yet effective treatment. It takes several weeks to get the desired result, but these results are long term. They're more holistic, and they don't require any intensive or invasive surgeries to get the desired effect.

Physical therapists examine each patient, develop a treatment plan to improve movement, reduce or manage pain, restore function, and prevent disability.

Phase 1 - Control Pain and Swelling. Phase 2 - Improve Range of Motion and/or Flexibility. Phase 3 - Improve Strength & Begin Proprioception/Balance Training. Phase 4 - Proprioception/Balance Training & Sport-Specific Training.

Physiotherapy focuses more on manual, hands-on therapy such as soft tissue and fascial releases, stretches, massages, etc. Physical therapy, on the other hand, takes a more exercise-based approach. The professionals educate patients about exercises for muscle strength, coordination, balance, and others.