Whenever you say the words “physical therapy” to someone, a very specific set of ideas come to mind. Usually, someone will think of recovering from an illness or injury that left them with diminished physical abilities. While that is a part of physical therapy, in truth it encompasses a much broader range of skills and settings. A physical therapist is a professional who works with people in pain to get them out of pain. Not only that, a good physical therapist will also provide you with the information and tools you need to maintain your results. 
When you are working with a physical therapist in an outpatient setting, there are few things that will happen. To start with, your physical therapist will go over your injury or pain, talk to you about what precipitated your pain, what your current status is, and what your goals are. From there they can put together a plan for getting you to your goal. 
We also want to make sure we understand how our patient got hurt and educate them in ways to prevent future injuries. If they are an athlete or hurt themselves working out, that can include teaching them the proper form or amount of weight they should be using for that exercise. If it is someone who got hurt on the job, in an accident, or just through everyday life, this could mean helping them to incorporate mobility and stability exercises into their everyday lives. 
We believe that the best way to accomplish this with our patients is by getting to know them and building trust. This allows us to get to know more about your life and your needs. We believe in treating the whole person and tailoring our programs to meet your needs. We also want to help you live a healthier life. Every body is different, so every treatment plan needs to be. 
For us, physical therapy is only partially moving you through exercises and tissue manipulation. The much larger part of it is education, listening, and adjusting to meet your needs. It is empowering our patients to take ownership of their body and their health. 
Physical therapy isn’t training, and it isn’t just exercises. It is healing people and helping them to overcome pain and injury. You can learn more about our approach to physical therapy on episode 49 of Training Room Talk. If you would like to learn more about our approach, please feel free to contact us on social media or email us. We look forward to hearing from you!