A physical therapist (PT) is a licensed health care professional that diagnoses and treats people of all ages with various musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. PT’s are also able to utilize fitness and wellness programs to help maintain the benefits that have been gained during physical therapy. The goal of physical therapy is to help reduce pain and symptoms, increase function, improve quality of life while teaching the patients the way they can maintain wellness.

During your initial evaluation a thorough review of your medical history and the primary symptoms that have brought you to therapy will be discussed. You can expect your therapist to perform a postural assessment, body screen, muscle strength testing, flexibility testing, palpation as well as functional tests to best assess your symptoms. Typically a summary of the therapist’s findings and a treatment plan are discussed with the patient at the time of evaluation.

A specialized women’s health physical therapist has had additional training in the diagnosis, evaluation and successful treatment of numerous diagnoses that occur across a woman’s lifespan.

Commonly Treated Obstetric & Women’s Health Diagnoses:

• Prenatal & Postpartum Care
• Lower Back & Neck Pain
• Postural Dysfunction
• Pelvic Floor Dysfunction/ Weakness
• Pelvic Pain
• Urinary Incontinence
• Postpartum Urinary Incontinence
• Gestational Diabetes
• High Risk Pregnancy
• Multiples Births
• Blocked Mammary Ducts
• Osteoporosis/Osteoarthritis
• Post-mastectomy/Oncology care
• Wellness Programs

A Women’s Health Physical Therapist partners with the client to ensure a healthy lifestyle and success in achieving their goals.

Reprinted with permission from Jennifer Raponi