Physical Therapy
The Profession
Physical therapy is a unique and vital health profession concerned
with health promotion, prevention of physical disabilities and the
habilitation/rehabilitation of persons disabled by pain, disease,
or injury.
Physical therapy is defined as the examination, evaluation, intervention,
and prevention of physical disability, movement dysfunction and
pain resulting from injury, disease, disability, or other health
related conditions. Physical therapy includes: (1) the performance
and interpretation of tests and measurements to assess pathophysiological,
pathomechanical, electrophysiological, ergonomic, and developmental
deficits of bodily systems to determine diagnosis, intervention,
prognosis, and prevention; (2) the planning administration, and
modification of therapeutic interventions that focus on posture,
locomotion, strength, endurance, cardiopulmonary function, balance,
coordination, joint mobility, flexibility, pain, healing and repair,
and functional abilities in daily living skills, including work;
and (3) the provision of consultative, educational, research, and
other advisory services.
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