Patient Information

Frequently Asked Questions About Physical Therapy

Please contact us with  further questions.

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy is a health care profession that helps individuals whose movement and function are adversely affected by aging, injury, disease, or environmental factors. Together with the help of physical therapists, these patients work toward the goals of relieving pain, as well as developing, maintaining, and restoring maximum movement and functional ability.

The cornerstones of physical therapy treatment are therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, and functional training. Physical therapy, which has many specialties such as sports medicine, industrial, orthopedic, and pediatrics, is available in many settings: outpatient clinics, offices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, extended care facilities, private homes, schools, hospitals, industrial workplaces, and fitness centers.

What do physical therapists do?

Physical therapists serve a dynamic, comprehensive role in improving and maintaining the quality of life for millions of patients. They also provide preventative exercise programs to promote general health and posture improvement.

Physical therapists are experts in restoring movement and function. After examining patients, therapists create comprehensive programs focused on total body care, injury prevention, as well as safe and timely return to work, life, and sports. Depending on the needs of a particular patient, physical therapists may mobilize a joint, provide soft tissue work to a muscle, or perform a corrective exercise to restore normal movement patterns and function.

In addition to this hands-on care, physical therapists educate patients on preventing injury and performing home exercises.

Physical therapy is valuable in the treatment of many diagnoses, so it’s always a good idea to ask your health care provider to prescribe physical therapy before other methods such as prescription medication. If you are unsure whether or not physical therapy can help you, please call.

Learn more: What is a Physical Therapist?

What can I expect as a patient?

You will see one therapist throughout your course of treatment. Our fees are consistent, our style is warm, and our skills are convincing. Determination makes the difference. Get better faster and affordably at Accelerate PT.

What does this mean exactly?

  • You will have access to information you need to make the best health care choices for you and your family.
  • We will listen attentively to your needs, while calming any worries or uncertainties.
  • We understand that life is difficult after an injury, and will provide exceptional support for the daily challenges involved during recovery.
  • We promise open, honest communication with you and other members of your health care team.
  • We inform and educate you about treatment options and the course of care.
  • We make decisions based on your best interests and the best interests of your family.
  • We are focused on improving your health, your well-being and, most of all, your quality of life.

What should I bring to my first visit?

The American Physical Therapy Association recommends this list of items to bring on your first visit.  When making your first appointment, be sure to ask if you have any questions.

What conditions do you treat?

We’re here to combat the cumulative disabling effects of physical illness, minimize residual physical disabilities, hasten convalescence and reduce hospitalization, contribute to the comfort and well-being of the patient, and help the patient return to optimum living within his capacity.

We’re concerned with the treatment of disease, injury, disability and functional rehabilitation, by means of such physical agents as heat, cold, light, electricity, sound, massage, therapeutic exercise and certain manual or electrical diagnostic and prognostic tests and measurements.

We can help with: Soft Tissue Injuries, Inflammatory Conditions, Post-Operative Rehabilitation, Neurological Injuries, Athletic and Sports Related Injuries, Chronic Pain and Stress Related Pain, Muscle Imbalances and Postural Defects, Geriatric Rehabilitation, Aquatic Physical Therapy, and others.

Learn more about our services

What Kind of Physical Therapist Do I Need?

When looking for a physical therapist:

  • Get recommendations from family and friends or from other health care providers.
  • When you contact a physical therapy clinic for an appointment, ask about the physical therapists’ experience in helping people with painful conditions.
  • During your first visit with the physical therapist, be prepared to describe your symptoms in as much detail as possible. Keeping a journal highlighting when you experience pain will help the physical therapist identify the best approach to your rehabilitation.

You can find physical therapists who have these and other credentials by using Find a PT, the online tool built by the American Physical Therapy Association to help you search for physical therapists with specific clinical expertise in your geographic area.