Physical therapy is one of the branches of medicine. The area of specialty of this branch is in promotion of function, quality of life and mobility and the remediation of impairments. Practitioners use mechanical forces and movements for physical intervention, diagnosis, and examination of impairments. The term physiotherapy is also used, with the abbreviation PT also being in wide use. When in need for the best physical therapy Cambridge offers the best place to check out.

Physical therapists also called physiotherapists are the medical practitioners who specialize in the field of physical therapy. The term physiotherapist is more common in most countries. The move to advocate for manual therapy techniques, massage, and hydrotherapy began in 460 BC. Some of the major advocates for these treatment options include Hippocrates and Galen. Per Henrik Ling is credited with being the first person to document the origins of physiotherapy as a profession.

All injuries and illnesses that impair functionality and mobility are the main focus of physiotherapy. Diagnosis is done by considering medical history and performing a physical examination on the patient. Determination of a diagnosis leads to formulation of a management plan. CT scans, X-rays, and MRI findings are based on in formulation of a management plan where necessary.

Nerve conduction velocity assessment, electromyograms and other similar electrodiagnostic testing methods may need to be employed. Management plans in physiotherapy comprise of prescription of or assisting patients with certain measures, which relieve immobility. Such measures may consist of education, mechanical devices, manual therapy and manipulation, specific exercises, and physical agents. Each measure is given according to the specific needs of an individual.

Among commonly prescribed physical agents are heat, cold, sound waves, rays, radiation, and electricity among many others. In the modern profession, assistive devices are also prescribed heavily. Orthoses and prostheses are some of the assistive devices prescribed commonly. The general public is often educated on prevention of immobility. Lifestyle elements predisposing the general public to immobility are usually emphasized a lot in education programs.

Another responsibility of physiotherapists is prevention of loss of mobility before it occurs. They have to work closely to patients to do this. They have to formulate fitness and wellness-oriented programs that are in line with healthy living. These programs support an active lifestyle. In the course of their work, physiotherapists work with different populations to alleviate various factors threatening mobility. Such factors comprise of diseases, injury, environmental factors, and aging.

Physiotherapy is a major professional career with many specialties in which practitioners can specialize. Some major specialties include geriatrics, orthopedics, sports, neurology, pediatrics, cardiopulmonary, wound care, female health, and EMG. Training in these specialties is the same at the lower levels. Students start to specialize at the third year of medical school. Neurological rehabilitation is still a new specialty, but it is becoming popular fast.

PT specialists have various working settings in which they work. These settings include health and wellness clinics, outpatient clinics, hospices, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation hospital facilities, private homes, and schools. Other places they work include sports training facilities, private physiotherapy clinics, fitness centers, and education and research centers. These professionals are usually also part of the medical team of sports teams.