What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

When I tell people that I am a physical therapist, one of the first things they say is how they went to a therapist, or they know someone who saw a therapist, after a surgery. Yes, we do help people recover after having a surgery, but this is really a small part of the many ways that we can help people. For many therapists, myself included, the goal is to help people avoid surgery and in order to do this, we need to be an initial option for people struggling with some sort of physical problem. In this Blog, I would like to discuss some of the specific things that a quality orthopedic physical therapist can do to assist people in living the active life they want. [...]

When I tell people that I am a physical therapist, one of the first things they say is how they went to a therapist, or they know someone who saw a therapist, after a surgery. Yes, we do help people recover after having a surgery, but this is really a small part of the many ways that we can help people. For many therapists, myself included, the goal is to help people avoid surgery and in order to do this, we need to be an initial option for people struggling with some sort of physical problem. In this Blog, I would like to discuss some of the specific things that a quality orthopedic physical therapist can do to assist people in living the active life they want.

If you have been to my website at http://www.promotiongb.com you will see a statement on my homepage that describes what I do:
“We help people of all ages, who have been limited by pain, stiffness, or fear, get back to playing better, living healthier, and enjoying life without the use of drugs, injections, or risky surgeries.”

Now, in order to do this, I use the knowledge, skills, and techniques that I have acquired during my many years as an orthopedic physical therapist. Below are some of the conditions treated and approaches used by therapists (and me specifically) that you may not have known about.

I Treat Low Back and Neck Pain. In fact, a large percentage of my patient population consists of  people struggling with neck and low back pain. These conditions are very common, but with the right treatment and education, they usually resolve. Not everyone realizes that the best first line treatment for Back and Neck Pain is physical therapy provided by a therapist with specific training in treating these. Evidence-based education has been shown to have a very positive effect on a patient’s recovery. Learning about the pain can relieve a lot of stress and worry which could be contributing to ongoing pain. In addition, certain manual therapy and manipulation techniques can be used to help relieve pain and improve movement. These techniques combined with supervised exercise that you enjoy can get you back to living the life you want. My advice to you is to find a therapist with extensive training in treating the spine if you are struggling with recovery from low back pain or neck pain.

I Treat Knee Pain and Shoulder Pain to Avoid Surgery. As more and more research is coming out which
compares surgery to physical therapy, the benefits of surgery is being questioned. This is specifically true for knee arthroscopy surgeries in people over 50 y.o. and shoulder impingement/tendonitis. With appropriate temporary changes in activity, manual therapy techniques, and specific exercises, many knee and shoulder surgeries can be avoided. Thus enabling patients to get back to living their life without the long, painful recovery from an expensive surgery. Physical therapy is now advocated as being the first treatment choice for painful conditions of the knee and shoulder.

Headaches Can Be Treated with Physical Therapy. I have treated many patients who have been struggling with headaches for a long time-taking more and more medication that helps less and less. Physicians and the general public do not realize that many headaches are influenced by problems in the neck region. With treating these problems, long-standing headache pain can be eliminated.


I Can Help People Get Back to Exercise. Perhaps you have had pain for a short or long time and because of it you stopped exercising and now don’t know what you should or should not do. Or, perhaps you never exercised before and you know you should, but have no idea where to start. Having had specific training in exercise implementation and progression, I can help you get back into an exercise program gradually and safely and if needed, include specific modifications or exercises if you are having difficulty in a certain area of your body. Don’t give up on being active and don’t hesitate to get help if you need it.

These are just a few things that a physical therapist can help you with which you may not have known about. Continue to follow my blog in the future as I discuss other topics that patients have frequently asked me about.
As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading,

​Bob