Tag Archives: physical therapy

Getting the Most Benefit from Physical Therapy

If you choose to undergo physical therapy, you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you. Here are some tips to help you get the most benefit from your treatment! Remember that this is an active treatment — physical therapy is not something done TO you. It is something you take part in. If you’re not going to do the work, you are wasting your time and the physical therapist’s time. Do your homework. Again, it’s a waste of time if you only put the effort in when your physical therapist is watching — your progress will be very slow … Continue reading →

Types of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is an umbrella that encompasses many specialties. Here are a few of the most common areas of specialization for physical therapists. Pediatric physical therapy deals with congenital, developmental, neuromuscular, neuroskeletal, and other disorders in infants, children, and adolescents. A pediatric physical therapist can help detect, diagnose, treat, and manage a wide variety of conditions, including: Cerebral palsy Spina bifida Developmental delays Pediatric physical therapy focuses on balance and coordination, improving motor skills (both fine motor and gross motor), building strength and endurance, and sensory integration. At the other end of life, geriatric physical therapists deals with aging and … Continue reading →

Physical Therapy: Overview

Physical therapy deals with treating problems with the musculoskeletal system. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, physical therapists are “experts in the science of healing and the art of caring”. From infants to seniors, many people can benefit from physical therapy. The main goal of physical therapy is to promote whole body function. This can include restoring mobility, improving mobility and managing pain. Treatment is designed to give the best possible body function to each individual patient. Physical therapy can help people return to independence after a serious injury or illness. On the healing side, physical therapy is used … Continue reading →

Ten Ways Pet Therapy Is Helpful

Pet therapy helps people in so many different ways. Exercise long-term recall skills. Asking a person about the pets they have owned can trigger all kinds of happy memories. Talking about pets you’ve known helps develop your cognitive skills. Exercise short-term memory. Asking a person to describe a pet who just visited is a good workout for the short-term memory. A well-trained dog could take a series of commands from a patient — the pup will be happy with the attention and the patient will get a chance to bond with the dog. Develop speech and communication skills. Many people … Continue reading →

Working Out with Cancer

Today’s cancer patient is discovering that rest isn’t always the best prescription. In fact, a growing body of thought has indicated that walking, yoga and other forms of exercise can help a cancer patient endure their treatments including chemotherapy both psychologically and physically. More and more, oncologists are recommending that exercise is on par with nutrition when it comes to cancer patients. More than 3 decades ago, my grandmother developed uterine cancer. She had a hysterectomy and months of radiation treatments and chemotherapy. Even on days when she just wanted to throw up and curl up into a ball, she … Continue reading →

Evaluate Your Child’s Motor Abilities: Take This Quiz!

It’s easy to tell when a child has major problems with muscle tone or coordination. Yet it’s possible for children to have problems with muscle tone which are more subtle. When we’re focused on cognitive abilities, we might miss motor problems in our child which need attention. Observe your child in these scenarios, and ask yourself these questions: Gross Motor Ability 1. When my child hugs me, he feels: a) like he’s using upper body strength to squeeze me back. b) somewhat flaccid without much grasp. c) rigid and stiff, with his muscles seeming a little tight. 2. If I … Continue reading →

Flapping, Spinning, Waving, Whirling: The Child With Irregular Motor Behavior

Sometimes children with special needs will display peculiar behaviors with their body parts. They might flap their hands, wave their arms, spin in circles, or bounce. They might fiddle with a string constantly, or jump up and down repetitively. Interestingly enough, this is not necessarily caused by autism, brain damage, or mental retardation. These are motor processing problems where the child has only limited control of what his body is doing. They might be symptoms of a larger disorder, like autism, but they can also appear in children who are neuro-typical. What causes these irregular body movements? In The Child … Continue reading →