What do physical therapists do?
Physical therapists help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of people with injuries or disease. They also restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health.
Physical therapists are experts in movement (how the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems function). PT services are cost-effective and early PT intervention prevents more costly treatment later, can result in faster recovery and reduce costs associated with lost time from work. Montana is a "direct access" state which means you may see a PT without a doctor referral. Studies show that when people can go directly to physical therapy services, they have fewer episodes of care and it is ultimately less costly.
Common reasons to seek help from a physical therapist:
- Back pain/ conditions
- Knee and shoulder problems
- Hip pain
- Ankle/foot problems
- Sprains and strains of any kind
- Post-surgical rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation after serious injury (broken bones)
- Women's health conditions
- Incontinence – urinary or fecal
- Pelvic floor tension
- Pregnancy and post partum back pain
- Bowel disorders – constipation, diarrhea, anal pain
- Dysmenorrheal or painful menstrual cycles
- Osteoporosis
I see people of all ages for all types of conditions.
Some of the common conditions in people that I see in my clinic:
- Back and hip dysfunction
- Pelvic pain /dysfunction
- Knee pain
- Neck dysfunction
- Tail bone pain
- Leaking when sneezing or coughing
- Urinary urgency or retention
- Urinary frequency or (having to urinate more than 7-8 times a day)
- Constipation, diarrhea
- Osteoporosis (compression fractures, posture problems)
- Lymphedema (swelling of a body part, associated with injury or cancer treatment)
- Leg and arm pain/dysfunction
- Plantarfasciitis
- Tennis elbow/golfers elbow
- Tendinitis of all kind
- Dysfunction after healing from broken bones
- Ankle /Foot sprains (casting for custom orthotics)
- Unexplained weird, painful conditions
- Balance problems
- Jaw or facial pain, headaches
- Dizziness
- Post surgical conditions (hysterectomy, knee meniscus repair, Achilles tendon repair, shoulder surgery, lumpectomy, abdominal surgery)
- And sometimes clients say, "I just feel crooked and my workout routine is being affected."
