Lake Regional Health System | Thrive | Spring 2019

8 | Spring 2019 T he human body is made for mo- tion. But what if an injury or medical condition brings some part of your body to a standstill? One solution might be physical therapy. “Physical therapy is a field of health care that helps people regain lost mobil- ity,” says Courtney Hulett, director of Lake Regional Rehabilitation Therapies, which includes physical and occupa- tional therapy. “The licensed profes- sionals who provide it, called physical therapists, all have postgraduate degrees, ORTHOPEDICS Physical therapy: It does a body good including many who have a clinical doctorate. Their extensive knowledge of anatomy enables them to treat conditions that affect motion, balance and flexibility.” Physical therapists call on a wide range of interventions, including therapeutic or aquatic exercise, vari- ous manual techniques, biofeedback, ultrasound, and orthotics. Some hospitalized patients require physical therapy — for example, for rehabilitation after a stroke or joint replacement. Physical therapy also is of- fered on an outpatient basis in clinics. Physical therapists often work closely with doctors to create treatment plans and track patient progress. Could it help me? You might seek physical therapy to help relieve pain or prevent injury so you can stay active. In some cases, therapy might help you avoid surgery. Among the many things physical therapists can help with are: