What is a Physical Therapist (PT)/ Physical Therapist Assistant?

What is a Physical Therapist?

•A Physical Therapist  (PT) is a licensed health care professional that diagnoses and initiates a plan of care for a variety of movement dysfunctions to enhance a patient’s physical and functional status. 

What is a Physical Therapist Assistant?

•A Physical Therapist assistant (PTA) is a licensed health care professional that works under the supervision of a Physical Therapist.  A PTA follows a plan of care for each patient after the PT’s initial evaluation. (Much like a physicians assistant).

What do we do?

•A Physical Therapist performs an individualized initial evaluation to examine a patient’s impairment, functional limitation, and disability.  The initial evaluation is followed by a personalized treatment plan, carried out by a PT or PTA, which may include:

                         -    Therapeutic exercise

                      -    Functional training

                      -    Manual techniques

                                            -    Modalites (heat, ultrasound etc

What are the goals of Physical Therapy?

    •Decrease and alleviate pain  

                         •Improve functional capabilities

                    •Improve activities of daily living

   •Promote fitness

                                  •Reduce risk or progression of injury

                               •Maintain optimal physical function