Physical Therapy (물리치료요법)

People with orthopedic conditions such as joint pain or sports injuries often attend physical therapy sessions to practice techniques for reducing pain, restoring movement and function, and preventing disability. In many cases, physical therapy can even take the place of surgery.

 

Physical therapy is known in some countries as physiotherapy. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, who wrote that the capacity to move is a vital element of health and well-being. More than 173,000 physical therapists are employed in the United States, according to federal statistics.

 

In order to practice, physical therapists must receive a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited physical therapy program and pass national and state exams to receive a state license. Some specialize in particular types of physical therapy, focusing on children, for instance, or athletes. Physical therapy can be helpful for people with bone injuries; neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease; heart problems; repetitive stress disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome (a wrist injury) or shin splints (a running injury), or connective tissue injury for those who have had a stroke, traumatic brain damage.

 

As part of a treatment plan, physical therapists often prescribe a regimen of therapeutic exercise to strengthen injured areas. Physical therapists may push a joint to its extreme range of motion to stretch it and extend movement, or they may massage a muscle to promote proper function. They teach patients stretches and exercises they can do at home, as well as self-care techniques for sore muscles and injury. For example, to treat a foot or ankle injury before the injured person can get to a doctor, physical therapists advise a process of rest, icing the injury, applying a compression bandage, and elevating the injured area so that it is positioned higher than the heart ― a simple and effective procedure known by the acronym RICE. In some cases, physical therapists may apply hot packs or use ultrasound equipment to treat some types of injuries.

 

 

In 2006, the American Physical Therapy Association announced a new workplace disorder named BlackBerry thumb, which involved chronic finger pain due to typing on tiny electronic comunication devices.

 

Physical therapists often have certified, registered, or licensed assitants (PTAs), who complete a 2-year associate's degree program.

 

The World Confederation for Physical Therapy, which was founded in 1951, has designated September 8 as World Physical Therapy Day.