Physical Therapy

What to Expect with Physical Therapy

Stiffness and pain from injury can limit your movement and ability to function. Physical therapy helps you reset and recalibrate with exercises and other tools to regain strength, endurance, posture and movement.

Physical therapy will help you recover from injuries and muscle overuse so you can successfully return to the activities of your daily life.

Our Approach to Physical Therapy

We help patients of all ages. We care for premature infants to seniors. Whatever your age, we want you to return to your active and independent lifestyle. We have many locations across Indiana. Our licensed therapists have the experience to treat many conditions.

IU Health Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation offers complete inpatient and outpatient services. Our goal is to help you maximize your treatment and recovery.

We focus on treating the whole patient—mind, body and spirit—not just the injury. We design our treatment for your needs. For your injury, illness or disease, we'll address the following:

• Prevention
• Evaluation
• Treatment
• Rehabilitation

Your Physical Therapy Treatment Plan

Physical therapy involves a variety of techniques to address your pain or mobility problems. Exercise, manual therapy and other interventions will be customized for your needs. You’ll also learn exercises you can do at home to help you recover faster.

With physical therapy, we restore function lost due to many illnesses and injuries. Some of those many include:

• Sports injury
• Birth defect
• Neurological trauma
• Repetitive motion
• Joint deterioration

Physical therapy helps you reduce pain. It also help you improve your strength, endurance and movement. We'll do this with exercises and other treatments. That way you can get back to your activities of everyday life.

Depending on your needs, your physical therapy may include:

• Muscle strengthening and retraining
• Cardiovascular strengthening
• Individualized exercise
• Pre/post-operative rehabilitation
• Gait retraining
• Pain management
• Manual therapy
• Dry needling
• Blood flow restriction training
• Pelvic health rehabilitation
• Balance and vestibular rehabilitation
• Soft tissue mobilization with ASTYM
• Sports rehabilitation
• Wound care
• Training for use of wheelchair, walkers, canes and crutches
• Orthotics (braces, splints) and prosthetics (artificial limbs)
• Speech therapy
• 3D video motion analysis

Preparing for Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation

A typical therapy session combines individualized exercise with hands-on techniques and technology to help improve your mobility and reduce pain. You’ll work one-on-one with a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant throughout your appointment.

Before Your First Physical Therapy Appointment

Make a List of Your Symptoms

Note if the pain is better or worse with certain movements, at certain times of day or on a certain part of your body.

Be Prepared with Your Medical History

Provide your physical therapist with as much information as you can. Include any injuries or surgeries you’ve had, any medication you take (prescription or over the counter), or any other information that affects your health.

During Your Appointment

Your therapist will perform an examination to check strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, posture and the mobility of your joints, muscles and other tissues. Your gait (how you walk), functional ability (such as getting up from a chair) or ability to bend and lift may also be checked.

• Wear comfortable clothes that you can move and exercise in.
• Be prepared to follow your therapist’s instructions and complete all recommended exercises in order to recover fully.

Why IU Health for Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation

Our specialists will help guide you to recovery. We provide treatment for a wide range of diagnoses, pathologies and disabilities.

IU Health has dozens of locations located throughout Indiana. We use the latest technology, research and staff training. That allows us to provide innovative and cost-effective approaches for you.

Questions to Ask Your Physical Therapist

• How long can I expect treatment to last?
• Will my PT be painful?
• Are there exercises I can do at home?
• Do I need to avoid any activities while I’m recovering?
• Are there things I need to avoid so my pain doesn’t become worse?
• How can I prevent my pain from coming back?