I am Dr. Jackie Fenton and have been a practicing Physical Therapist for 5 years now and somehow it always surprises me when I have patients that have no idea what happens in Physical Therapy. I like to chalk it up to the fact that for those of us that go into Physical Therapy are modest. We don’t really talk too much about what we can do to help our patients and so they don’t know!
What Sets Physical Therapy Apart
Our profession describes us as movement experts. We learn how the body moves and learn how to make movement easier. This can be accomplished several ways during treatment, whether it be through hands on treatments or exercises. Our solutions to movement problems can be creative and help you move the way you want to move throughout your day.
While this is a big component of what I do, I also help people move past their fear of movement. When something has been hurting for a long time, it can be scary to move. Especially, if we think that when we move we are going to cause more hurt. This is something unique about being a physical therapist. I get to sit down and spend time with my patients and really get to the bottom of what they need help with to recover.
Many healthcare providers don’t have the time to sit down with their patients due to insurance restrictions and due to the overflow of patients that need to be seen that day. Even Physical Therapy clinics are becoming restricted in the amount of time they can spend with their patients. It’s why I have chosen to step away from accepting health insurance (a rant on this at a later time). I want to get my patients better as quickly as possible, so they really can get back to doing what they love.
A Typical Physical Therapy Session:
First, we will take a dive into what made you show up. You will feel heard about what is going on with you and your body. I will evaluate how you move using my diagnostic skills. This can be a range of things – from walking, to hands on assessment, to assessing something that you can’t do currently. From there I will create a treatment plan and make sure you completely understand it. I find when patients understand why they feel a certain way, the anxiety and fear of pain begins to decrease, as well as the pain. I might do a hands-on treatment that helps to alleviate any restrictions you may have in your muscles or joints. I will give you some homework, so that you can start to take charge of your pain as well.
It is incredibly important to me that my patients know what they need to do to help themselves. I am here to give you the tools and make sure you feel confident to be able to get back to your activities you love.
This is generally what happens in a session of Physical Therapy in an orthopedic setting. There are so many other specialties of Physical Therapy – cardiac rehab, neurological rehab, geriatrics, pediatrics, oncology, and so on! In general, we are here to help people move better and have a better understanding of their body.
Got a nagging pain or not sure something is supposed to feel a certain way? Make an appointment with me by clicking here and I would be happy to help you getting on the path to pain free movement.