What do you want to talk about?
Why did I name this site “What Physical Therapy Is”? I believe that is the heart of the question regarding our whole profession as Physical Therapists. My intention with this website is to help develop a conversation about the many things that PTs do, who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. The public for this webpage will be interesting as I have no idea who will find it. My belief is it will be quite diverse – physical therapists, other healthcare practitioners and the general public who may have questions. The topics that will be raised will be ones I come up with to begin with, but I’m hoping that many of the readers will also come up with some thoughts that we can all think and discuss. So here’s my first question, “What topics pertaining to physical therapy do you want to talk about?”
Comments (6)
I did something to my knee. Should I see my primary care doctor, physical therapist or an occupational therapist? What’s the difference between physcial therpay and occupational therapy?
Thanks for your question! You can choose to see both your primary care physician or a physical therapist. The easiest way to determine which would be more appropraite is the way in which you injured yourself. If you were involved in an accident, like a fall from a high surface, auto accident, etc then the best place to go would be to your PCP as s/he will need to determine if an x-ray is appropriate. If your knee pain has come on over a period of time, has been around and is getting worse or you just awoke with some pain then a licensed physical therapist would be appropriate to take a look at your knee.
As to the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy the easiest way to explain the difference is that an physical therapist helps a person to return to a functional outcome – walking, running, bending, lifting etc. An occupational therapist deals with fine motor skills like brushing your teeth, cooking, grooming activities and also adapting the environment around you so that you can continue to live without restriction after an accident.
I hope that helps! If you have any further questions, please ask!!
what “isn’t” physical therapy? do people come to physical therapy with the right expectations?
Nichole, thank you and great question! Physical Therapists are well educated and experienced in differential diagnosis and after an evaluation we are able to determine if we are able to help the patient or not. Physical Therapists perform an intensive, hands-on evaluation that can last from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the patient and the problem. By doing such an intensive evaluation, we really get a good picture of what is going on with the patient. After completing the evaluation and determining that we are not able to help the patient, we are trained to be able to determine exactly where a person needs to go to get the help she/he needs. That is a benefit that many of my past patients enjoy, the fact that I can refer them to the other healthcare practitioner who can help them. The fact that many people do not know is that Physical Therapists in most States are able to evaluate a patient without a referral from a physician. This is referred to as “Direct Access”. I will write more on Direct Access in my next post as it is a topic I am quite passionate about.
I have a question about PT vs. DC. I go to a Chiropractor for a back injury, and I have problems with my knee and ankle, which have both been broken. My Chiropractor adjusts all three areas, but I still have problems with my ankle and knee ‘popping’ or ‘clicking’ when I walk, and it’s painful especially when I stand or walk on it for long periods of time. Can a PT help this problem, what would a PT do differently that a DC wouldn’t? What kinds of treatment are the same or different for both PT and DC? Thank you for your time in this matter.
Great question! First off, I am sorry for the delay in response. I am from way up North visiting my family and was not able to be as connected as I would like. I hope you had a safe and fun 4th!
I often am asked what the differences between PT and DC are when it comes to treatment approach and I’ll answer the best I can. I am not a DC so I cannot appropriately discuss what that profession is/does (if any of you are a DC I would welcome your input!). What I can do is outline the approach a PT would take and hopefully that will answer your question.
The approach a PT would take is by first evaluating your problem and determining what the issue is. The fact that you have painful popping/clicking with movement and being on your feet for a long period of time seems to indicate that PT would be appropriate for your impairment as there is no pain at rest, only with movement. There are a lot of structures at work in your body when you move. In addition to joint movement, you also have muscles, tendons and ligaments that must all work in synergy in order to have pain-free motion. Usually, when a person complains of popping/clicking there is an imbalance at the joint in question so a specific strengthening/stretching program that deals with that joint, as well as the rest of the limb, works well in reducing/alleviating your pain with motion.
Should you see a PT? I can only answer with a question, “Are you better?” If not, a trial of PT could be beneficial and “Get you back on your feet” – literally! I hope this helps. If you have any additional questions, please ask!