On the Move: Reading Long Words About Physical Therapy

Moving Again: What Physical Therapists Do

1Have you ever hurt your ankle and had to use crutches for a while? When an injury heals, the body often needs help to move well again. That is the job of a physical therapist. A physical therapist is a health worker who helps people get stronger and move with less pain.

2Physical therapists work in many places. Some work in hospitals or busy clinics. Others visit patients at home or travel with sports teams. Their patients can be any age. A soccer player might need help after hurting a knee. A grandmother might need to improve her balance so she does not fall. After an operation, a person's shoulder might be so stiff that it is almost immobile. A therapist helps that shoulder start moving again, little by little.

3A therapist's room may look like a small gym. There might be a stationary bike, which stays in one place while you pedal. There are often soft mats, big exercise balls and stretchy bands in different colors. Many therapy tables are adjustable, so they can be raised or lowered to fit each patient. Some clinics even have a pair of handrails called parallel bars. Patients hold on to them as they practice walking.

4On a first visit, the therapist asks questions and watches carefully as the patient bends, reaches and walks. Then the therapist plans exercises to make muscles stronger and joints more flexible. Every small movement counts. A patient might lift a light weight, stand on one foot or slowly stretch a stiff arm. Some exercises feel uncomfortable at first. If an exercise hurts too much, the patient tells the therapist, who can change it.

5Physical therapists also teach patients what to do at home. A patient may get a sheet of exercises to practice every day, because recovery takes time and hard work. As the weeks go by, the patient's mobility improves. A runner can jog around the park. A grandfather can climb the steps to his front porch without help. Many therapists say that watching someone move freely again is the best part of their job.

6Becoming a physical therapist takes many years of school. Students learn how bones, muscles and joints work together. They also practice being calm and encouraging, because getting better can be slow.