Physical Therapy

What is Physical Therapy?

• The treatment of physical dysfunction or injury through the use of therapeutic exercise and the application of modalities.
• The goal is to restore or facilitate normal function.

What do Physical Therapists Treat?

Impairments:

• Strength
• Range of Motion
• Flexibility Balance
• Posture
  

Functional Limitations:

• Transfers
• Walking

Physical Therapy should not simply be based on addressing impairments. It should be tailored to people’s individual needs. UF physical therapy is based on the ROLES people play in their lives and the SKILLS needed to fulfill those roles.

Strengthening Program

Bilateral lower extremity and upper extremity strengthening to help move your body in your environment, generate forces needed to transfer safely and carry objects while walking.

 

Flexibility Program

Trunk Flexibility/mobility exercises, Cervical rotation and lateral flexion and various stretches to give patients the appropriate motion at each joint and in each muscle in order to move without limitations.

Balance Program

Sitting balance activities, Static standing balance activities (single limb stance, tandem standing, standing on compromised surface) and Dynamic balance activities (balance with perturbations, ball toss) to help patients with bradykinesia, difficulty initiating and terminating movements and narrowed base of support.

Transfer training

Specific tasks to improve rolling side to side in bed, moving from sitting to standing and other transfer issues.
Patients are trained how to break each task into component parts.

Gait Training

Use an assistive device as needed (walker, cane). Work to utilize all appropriate phases of gait cycle (Increased step length, increased cadence, arm swing). Practice walking techniques with distractions. Progress from straight-line gait in static environment to dynamic gait in variable environment.