Psoas I was saying . . . October is Physical Therapy Month. We are going to say hello to fall, pumpkin spice flavors, baseball playoffs, NFL, Hockey, and the holidays around the bend. In the spirit of the season, lets start off with a Physical Therapy Humerus joke for our colleagues.
A professional baseball player comes into the clinic with a limp.
“What’s wrong?” asks the PT.
“I took too many walks.”
Physical Therapy can be traced back to 500 B. C. when Greek, Chinese, and Japanese physicians were documenting the use of manual, hydrotherapy, movement, and exercise to treat pain and diseases. The profession continued to advance during the 18th century, with Sweden pioneering the Royal Central Institute for Gymnastics. One of the graduates from this institution, Mary McMillan, moved to the United States in 1917 and by 1918 was sworn into the US Army Medical Corps as the first Reconstructive Aide. This was the title for our early physical therapists working in the United States during WWI to rehabilitate wounded soldiers. Mary went on to create the American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association in 1921, which today is known as the American Physical Therapy Association.
So, what is physical therapy? Physical therapy is a branch of healthcare specializing in rehabilitative practices to improve or restore function, reduce pain, prevent further injury, or decline in mobility. Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants work in a variety of setting to include hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health, skilled nursing facilities, schools, sports teams, and fitness centers. During therapy sessions, PTs and PTAs will work with patients on exercise, stretching, balance, bed mobility, stair training, ambulation (walking), transfer training, modalities, use of assistive devices, prosthetics/orthotics, and home exercise programs to improve safety, functional mobility, and decrease/eliminate pain.
Keep Calm and Put a Gait Belt On! For more information on Physical Therapy and how it can benefit you, please contact the Functional Pathways Therapy Team near you.