How Can Physical Therapy Help Me??

Does this sound familiar? You have a particular injury or nagging pain, and you have seen your orthopedic physician who prescribed the appropriate medical treatment. You follow the treatment regimen precisely, but now you want to know, "How can I ensure that this pain will not return?"

The answer you are looking for may lie in physical therapy. A physical therapist is a health care professional trained to evaluate and treat disorders of many types, including those of bones, muscles, and joints. Therapists use many tools to achieve their desired outcomes, including modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, iontophoresis, moist heat, and ice to assist with decreasing inflammation and pain. The "physical" part of physical therapy comes in the form of therapeutic exercises designed specifically for each patient depending on the goals. Additionally, therapists may use manual therapy to mobilize joints and/or decrease tightness in soft tissues.

In short, physical therapists look for biomechanical issues that may be contributing to a patient's pain and develop an individualized treatment approach to solving those problems. Together with the physician's prescribed regimen, most orthopedic issues can be completely resolved, eliminating the patient's fear of returning pain.

Libby Cross, PT attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and went on to attend the university of Tennessee Physical Therapy School, where she earned her Masters in Physical Therapy. She graduated with honors in May of 2004. Mrs. Cross worked for Methodist Hospital as a staff physical therapist prior to joining our facility, and has also worked in the home health arena. In her spare time, she enjoys exercising and spending time with her family.