Physical Therapy For Different Age Groups

Physical therapy can be helpful for a host of maladies that occur in the human body from birth to old age. Many people think of PT as only being useful in adults, but it can actually be quite effective in the very young. What can they do?

Physical therapists are highly trained health care professionals who recognize problems within the human muscular system. They are able to design plans which allow patients to obtain optimum movement and functionality. PTs often work as consultants with a variety of other health care workers such as occupational therapists, physicians and social workers. They are able to perform evaluations and diagnose problems related to improper functioning. They can line up plans for correction in order to restore a person's mobility and function.

Interventions may include manual techniques, specialized exercise regimes, adaptive equipment, devices that assist and electro-therapies, as well. If a baby or young child receives the proper therapeutic treatment when they are small, the problem can be remedied more successfully than waiting till it has become ingrained as the body ages. Some babies are born with low muscle tone or one side developed more strongly than the other. Therapeutic intervention can address these problems and allow the child to develop more normally into maturity.

Adults and adolescents often benefit from PT after sports injuries, illnesses or sprains, strains or fractures. Injuries from work are also commonly aided through a remedial program. Arthritis, stroke and muscle loss often occur in the elderly which can cause pain and loss of mobility and function. A skilled PT can design an exercise and therapeutic routine which can turn one's life around toward mobility and better health.

A physical therapist is a well educated health care professional. A person must have a bachelor's degree before applying to a master's level certification program. The PT educational program includes coursework in physiology, biology, chemistry, human anatomy and is combined with an ample amount of hands on experience in working with patients. It takes from two to two and a half years to complete the master's program at which time a graduate must go through a licensure procedure, as well.

If a person is troubled by a physical ailment from the age of birth to old age, it would be wise to consult with a reputable licensed physical therapist to find out what type of intervention program may be designed to help them. Many insurance companies enthusiastically pay for the services of these health care professionals.