October is PT Month
October is PT Month!
Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants have been celebrating this since 1992 ... so 2022 makes it 30 years of celebration!!
Here are some fun and interesting facts to learn more about physical therapy!!
- Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education and prescribed movement.
- More than 80% of adults and adolescents do not get enough physical activity.
- Physical therapists can help expectant moms to strengthen the muscles essential to pregnancy, labor and delivery.
- Regular physical activity can prevent and improve many chronic conditions.
- Physical therapists can help all ages and stages of life, including prenatal, pregnancy, infants, children, adults and older population.
Physical therapy is not just for when symptoms arise. Physical therapists can help with exercise, wellness and prevention!
What's a typical day like for a Sidekick physical therapist?
"I start my day off viewing my schedule and gathering toys/items needed for first appointment. The majority of my clients are around 3-12 months with a few 5-7 years old. I treat a lot of babies for plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) and torticollis (tight neck/head tilt) as well as developmental delays. During those sessions, I spend a lot of time performing passive stretching and strengthening during various positions (back, belly and sidelying) to help with tight and weak muscles. I also educate and help parents with positioning, stretching exercises and setting up purposeful play activities at home. The older clients I treat are mainly for toe walking, ankle alignment (not enough arch support) and lower leg pain due to hip and ankle alignment. During those sessions, I provide passive stretching as well as active stretching (activities/exercises that client can perform themselves while still stretching appropriate joint) and strengthening exercises that incorporate some of their favorite things to make it more fun. In between clients, I document what happened during the sessions and other case management type duties that need to be completed (emails, faxing order requests for helmets/braces, progress updates on clients and documenting evaluations.)" Whitney Castle, PT
Resources: https://www.apta.org/national-physical-therapy-month
Whitney Castle, PT, DPT