Every day in the United States, physical therapy practitioners help approximately one million people to:

1. alleviate pain,
2. prevent the onset and progression of impairment, functional limitation, disability, changes in physical function and
3. restore, maintain and promote overall fitness, health and optimal quality of life.

Physical therapists, or PTs, are health care professionals who evaluate and treat people with health problems resulting from injury or disease. PTs assess joint motion, muscle strength and endurance, function of heart and lungs, performance of tasks related to functional mobility (e.g., walking, stair climbing, getting in and out of bed, work tasks, etc.) and posture and alignment, among other responsibilities. Typical ailments that physical therapists and physical therapist assistants treat include:

• low back and neck pain due to strain, sprain, disc disease, arthritis, etc.,
• shoulder pain due to injury, tendonitis, etc.,
• hip pain due to injury, fracture, arthritis, etc.,
• knee pain due to injury, ligament tears, muscle imbalance, arthritis, etc.,
• ankle and/or lower leg and foot pain due to injury, sprain, fracture, arthritis, etc.,
• weakness due to multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, debility, etc.,
• neurological impairments associated with stroke, spinal cord injury, closed head injury, etc.,
• recovery following surgery, such as with total hip replacement, total knee replacement, back/neck surgery, shoulder surgery, etc. (For more information about total hip and/or knee replacement surgery, visit the Kansas Joint Specialty Center) and
• anyone suffering from a painful condition, weakness, stiffness, loss of mobility, sensory loss or poor balance.

Learn more about Physical Therapy at Olathe Medical Center
In what settings do Physical Therapy practitioners work at Olathe Medical Center