Physical Therapy Overview

Following extensive assessment and diagnosis of a disease or disability, physical therapy seeks to rehabilitate the body through movement and touch. Exercise is a crucial element in physical therapy and can be used to restore range of motion and basic functions like standing, walking and grasping. Massage is another mainstay of physical therapy, since tension, swelling and poor circulation can inhibit healing.

Patients of physical therapy include accident victims and sufferers of debilitating conditions such as strokes, lower back pain, head injuries, heart disease and cerebral palsy. The aim of the therapy is to improve an individual's ability to function in his or her day-to-day life. In addition to the rehabilitation of those already injured, the therapy also seeks to prevent injuries and disabilities through education about fitness and health.

Physical therapy began as a recognized profession during World War I. To answer the overwhelming need for rehabilitation of wounded military personnel, the Surgeon General's office formed the division of special hospitals and physical reconstruction. The employees of this division were known as "reconstruction aides" and only later called physical therapists.

Today, physical therapy is generally considered a conventional (rather than alternative) form of medicine that strives to ensure that a person can engage in daily life as comfortably and independently as possible.

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