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|  | Physical Therapy (PT)
According to the American Physical Therapy Association (2006), physical therapists (PTs) are health care professionals who diagnose and treat people of all ages who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTs also help prevent conditions associated with loss of mobility through fitness and wellness programs that achieve healthy and active lifestyles. PTs examine individuals and develop plans using treatment techniques that promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability.
Physical Therapy is distinguished from other health-care professions primarily by the scope of its treatment interventions, which include:
· strengthening and therapeutic exercise programs
· balance retraining
· manual therapy techniques (massage, mobilization, manipulation) to reduce pain and stiffness
· physical modalities such as ice and heat
· electrical modalities such as TENS (electrical nerve stimulation) and ultrasound
· gait retraining using walking devices such as walkers and crutches
· general conditioning regimes
Some of the conditions that physiotherapists can treat include:
· back and neck pain
· spinal and joint conditions, such as arthritis
· problems affecting children, such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida
· heart and lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia
· sport-related injuries
· stress incontinence
· neurological conditions, such as stroke and multiple sclerosis
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