Injuries
This common acronym for immediate first aid stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
What is R.I.C.E.?
The Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the "Father of Medicine," advocated for these two early forms of physical therapy around 460 BC.
What are massage and hydrotherapy?
This symptom is often described using a scale of 0 to 10 and can be localized, radiating, or referred.
What Is Pain
The use of cold packs or ice to reduce swelling and inflammation.
What is cryotherapy?
A doctor's referral is always required to see a physical therapist for an evaluation.
False
An injury to a ligament, such as those in the ankle or wrist, is known by this term.
What is a sprain?
This is the current, entry-level degree required for all physical therapists graduating in the United States.
What is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)?
A physical therapist might observe this symptom as a visible, uneven swelling around a joint, which indicates inflammation or fluid accumulation.
What is edema or swelling?
This stretchy band, used to provide resistance, is a versatile tool for strengthening muscles.
What is a resistance band?
Physical therapy is a good treatment option for patients experiencing "phantom pain" in a limb that has been amputated.
True
This painful condition in the elbow, often seen in athletes, is an overuse injury to the tendons on the outside of the elbow.
What is "tennis elbow" or lateral epicondylitis?
Originally founded in 1921 as the American Women's Physical Therapeutic Association, this is the current professional organization for PTs in the U.S.
What is the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)?
This symptom is the inability to move a body part through its full arc, often measured with a goniometer during an evaluation.
What is limited range of motion?
A common modality that uses sound waves to generate heat deep within tissues to promote healing and reduce pain.
What is therapeutic ultrasound?
All physical therapists have the same general degree and scope of practice, with no ability to specialize in a specific area of the body or type of therapy.
False
To treat a herniated disc, a physical therapist might use this manual technique that uses a mechanical force to pull a joint, typically the spine, to relieve pressure on nerves
What is spinal traction?
These specialized physical therapists work with infants, children, and adolescents to treat developmental delays and conditions like cerebral palsy.
What are pediatric physical therapists?
This neurological symptom is often described as a "pins and needles" sensation and can be a sign of nerve irritation or compression.
What is paresthesia?
A massage technique that involves sustained pressure on localized areas of tightness to release tension in a muscle.
What is myofascial release?
Physical therapy is effective for a wide range of conditions, but it cannot be used to help patients reduce their risk of falls or prevent sports injuries before they happen.
False.
This specific exercise, performed by having a patient rapidly alternate between turning their palm up and turning it down, is used to diagnose and treat a motor control issue called dysdiadochokinesia.
What is a rapid alternating movement test?
This is the condition where a person experiences pain in a limb that has been amputated, which physical therapists can help to treat.
What is phantom limb pain?
A patient with this complex symptom might experience a reduced ability to initiate movement, slowed movements, and trouble with their balance.
What is bradykinesia?
This portable electronic device is used to stimulate nerves through the skin to help manage pain.
What is a TENS unit (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)?
Physical therapy is only for people who have been injured.