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Physical Therapy Vancouver, WA

Physical therapy or physiotherapy is a branch of rehabilitative medicine geared toward helping patients maximize their movement potential and improve the quality of life for themselves. While the immediate goal of practitioners is mainly to help patients recover, develop, or maintain physical abilities, the issues that encompass the patients’ psychological, social, and emotional well-being are also addressed.

The kind of physical therapy Vancouver, WA practitioners offer takes on multiple forms: prevention, promotion, treatment or intervention, habilitation, and rehabilitation. Regardless of form, however, it involves interaction between the patient and the therapist, other health professionals, caregivers, families, and communities.

About Physical Therapists & More

Physical therapy is primarily performed by a physical therapist (PT, physiotherapist), with supplementary services sometimes provided by a physical therapist assistant (PTA, physical rehabilitation therapist) acting under the direction of the physical therapist.

• PTs are responsible for examining, diagnosing, and treating patients of various ages for a wide range of physical problems linked to their neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems.
• They deal with a variety of medical conditions and injuries that limit patients’ abilities to move or to perform certain functional activities.
• In order for a PT to arrive at a diagnosis and draft a management plan for the patient, he or she performs a physical examination and reviews the patient’s history.

In some cases, the examination may be accompanied by laboratory and imaging studies or even electrodiagnostic testing (such as electromyograms and nerve conduction velocity testing) to help the PT come up with an accurate diagnosis and management plan.
A physical therapy management plan would include education, prescription of or assistance with movement exercises, manual therapy, and more. A crucial part of the management plan is to prevent any further loss of mobility through a series of prescribed fitness and wellness-oriented programs.

To learn about how the kind of physical therapy Vancouver, WA practice Forgey SportsMed & Rehab Clinic offers can help you improve movement and functional activity throughout your lifespan, call (360) 573-5500 today.