Exercise

Exercise is anything you do in addition to your regular daily activity that will improve your flexibility, strength, coordination, or endurance. It even includes changing how you do your regular activities to give you some health benefits. For example, if you park a little farther away from the door of the grocery store, the extra distance you walk is exercise. Physical therapy nearly always involves exercise of some kind that is specifically designed for your injury, illness, condition, or to help prevent future health problems. Exercise can include stretching to reduce stress on joints, core stability exercises to strengthen the muscles of your trunk (your back and abdomen) and hips, lifting weights to strengthen muscles, walking, doing water aerobics, and many other forms of activity. Your physical therapist is likely to teach you how to do an exercise program on your own at home so you can continue to work toward your fitness goals and prevent future problems.

Getting started on core stability

Manual therapy

Manual therapy is a general term for treatment performed with the hands and not with any other devices or machines.^{1, 2} The goals of manual therapy include relaxation, less pain, and more flexibility. Manual therapy includes:

• Massage, which applies pressure to the soft tissues of the body such as the muscles. Massage can help relax muscles, improve circulation, and ease pain in the soft tissues.
• Mobilization, which uses slow, measured movements to twist, pull, or push bones and joints into position. This can help loosen tight tissues around a joint and help with flexibility and alignment.
• Manipulation, which uses rapid, forceful movements to position the bones and joints. This is a more aggressive treatment. Discuss the pros and cons of manipulation with your doctor or physical therapist.

Education

Physical therapy almost always includes education and training in areas such as:

• Performing your daily tasks safely.
• Protecting your joints and avoiding reinjury.
• Using assistive devices such as crutches or wheelchairs.
• Doing home exercises designed to help with your injury or condition.
• Making your home safe for you if you have strength, balance, or vision problems.

Specialized treatments

In some locations, physical therapists are specially trained to be involved in other types of treatment, including:

• Vestibular rehabilitation, which helps your inner ear respond to changes in your body position. This is helpful if you have problems with vertigo, or a feeling that you or your surroundings are spinning or tilting when there is actually no movement. Rehabilitation can help you get used to the problem so you know when to expect it, and train your body to know how to react.³
• Wound care. Wounds that are very severe or don't heal well, often because of poor blood flow to the area, can require extensive care. This may include special cleaning and bandaging on a regular and long-term basis.⁴ Sometimes hydrotherapy, oxygen treatment, or electrical stimulation is part of the treatment.
• Women's health. Physical therapists often work with women on exercises to help control urinary incontinence or to relieve pelvic pain.
• Oncology (cancer care), to help if cancer or treatment for cancer causes you to have problems with movement.
• Decongestive lymphatic drainage, which is a special form of massage to help reduce swelling when the lymphatic system is not properly draining fluids from your tissues.¹

Cold and ice