Physical Therapy is a health care profession which provides services to individual and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout life.  This includes providing services in circumstances where movement and function are threatened by aging, injury, disease or environmental factors.  Functional movement is a central element in what it means to be healthy.

The goals of Physical Therapy are to improve your mobility (such as walking, going up stairs, or getting in and out of bed), to relieve pain and to restore physical function and overall fitness.  Depending upon your injury, disease or condition, you may need to work on flexibility, strength, endurance, coordination and/or balance.  To do this, your treatment may focus on preventing problems or treating problems that affect:

• Your muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones (musculoskeletal system)
• Your nerves and related muscles (neuromuscular system)
• Your heart and related blood vessels (cardiovascular system)
• Your lungs and breathing (pulmonary system)
• Your skin, including wounds and burns
• Any combination of two or more of these.