What’s the Difference Between a Physiotherapist and a physical therapist?
What is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is used to treat injuries, illnesses and disorders through physical methods—such as exercise, massage, manipulation, and other treatments—through medication and surgery. Many people may believe that physiotherapists mainly work with back injuries and sports injuries, but that’s not always the case. Physiotherapists are highly trained health professionals who provide treatment to people suffering from physical problems caused by injury, illness, illness and aging.
The goal of a physiotherapist is to improve the quality of life of a person by using a variety of treatments to relieve pain and restore function or, in the case of permanent injury or illness, to reduce the effects of any dysfunction.
The role of the physiotherapist
The role of the physiotherapist is varied and rarely the same for two days. A physiotherapist may need to assess a patient’s physical condition in order to diagnose problems and implement a treatment plan, or patients may need to be re-trained to walk or help others cope with crutches, walking frames or wheelchairs.
Education is also an essential part of physiotherapy. Physiotherapists spend a lot of time educating patients, their families and the community to prevent injuries and help people live a healthy lifestyle. A physiotherapist may also plan and implement community fitness programs. Finally, physiotherapists may also issue sick leave certificates if they consider it necessary to do so.
During their careers, physiotherapists treat all kinds of people, including children with cerebral palsy, premature babies, pregnant women, rehabilitation workers, athletes, the elderly (to try and get them fitter) and those who need assistance after heart disease, strokes, or major surgery.
What is Physical Therapy?
Physical Therapy (PT) is a care that aims to relieve pain and help you function, move and live better. You might need it to:
- Relieve your pain
- Improve movement or capability
- Prevent or recover from a sport injury
- Preventing Disability or Operation
- Rehab after a stroke, accident, injury or surgery;
- Work on balance to avoid slipping or falling
- Manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis
- Recover after you’ve given birth
- Control the bowels or the bladder
- Adapting to an artificial limb
- Learn how to use assistive devices such as a walker or a cane
- Get your splint or brace
What Is a Physical Therapist?
These licensed health professionals receive special graduate training in physical therapy. You might hear them called PTs or physiotherapists.
You will need to graduate from an accredited higher education institution with a doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) degree in order to be eligible for a national examination in 2015. An additional state examination must also be carried out to obtain a license.
Physical therapists will evaluate your condition and develop a care plan to guide your therapy. They can perform hand-on treatments for your symptoms. They also teach you special exercises to help you move around and work better.
In most states, you can go directly to a physical therapist without a doctor’s referral. Or your doctor may prescribe it for you. Check your insurance policy to see if you need a prescription to cover your costs.
If you have a serious illness or injury, a PT will not take the place of your doctor. But they will work with your doctors and other health professionals to guide your treatments. You’ll feel better, and you’ll be more likely to get back to full function in the area being treated, and in most cases, faster than without PT guidance.
The PTs often have their assistants. They are also trained to perform many types of physical treatments.
Are You Looking for a Physical Therapist Near San Jose You Can Trust?
Pace Physical Therapy in San Jose, California specializes in non-surgical neck pain relief and recovery therapies. We pride ourselves on offering the best possible physical therapy available and going above and beyond for our patients. Our highly experienced physical therapist will work with you to improve your function and relieve your pain. We start by assessing the body as a whole. Oftentimes the cause of pain or an injury extends far beyond just the body part or muscle hurting. Without taking a comprehensive look at your entire self, we would be doing you a disservice in fully helping you heal and preventing future limitations. We then move on to fixing your areas of limitation. Not all diagnoses are created equal. One person with neck pain may have completely different limitations than the next person. Your recovery program needs to be specific to what YOUR body needs and not just the typical exercise program that you can find online. Just because your pain decreases or you can walk longer doesn’t mean that it is enough to get you functioning at the level you want to be. While this often signifies the end of care at your typical PT clinic we don’t stop providing guidance until we help you successfully meet every goal you set for yourself with us on day one. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!
