What type of tests do physical therapists perform?
• Muscle strength and range of motion( flexibility)
• Transfers— in and out of chairs, beds, cars, and from the floor
• Gait( walking) and balance
• Coordination
• Posture
• Safety in the home
• Confidence and fear of falling
What are the goals of physical therapy in the treatment of PSP, CBD, MSA, and other neurodegenerative diseases?
• To maintain safe, functional mobility for as long as possible
• To prevent or limit falls and injuries
• To educate and train carepartners to safely assist with functional mobility and home exercise programs
• To prevent or reduce pain, if any
• To make recommendations for home safety modifications
What types of treatments do physical therapists provide?
Physical therapists provide many types of treatments. For example, they:
• Design exercise programs to help patients maintain or improve strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance. Even with disease progression, exercise can help maximize a person’ s function.
• Treat joint or muscle pain that interferes with activities of daily living. When left untreated, pain associated with muscular tightness and injuries from falls can lead to less mobility and less independence.
• Provide training in correct or new ways to walk to minimize injuries from falls.
• Train in correct or new ways for getting in and out of a car, in and out of a chair at a table, and many other types of movement.
• Teach carepartners proper body mechanics and techniques for assisting with mobility. When individuals with PSP, CBD, and MSA can no longer safely move on their own, carepartners often have to assist with mobility. Learning proper mobility assistance techniques helps keep carepartners free from injuries such as back strains.
• Make referrals to movement and exercise programs in the community. Exercising with a group not only promotes mobility and fitness but also helps with maintaining social interaction and limiting isolation.
• Make recommendations and provide training for walking devices, wheelchairs, and other equipment that can make mobility easier and safer.
• Perform home safety assessments and teach new ways of performing older tasks, such as holding a handrail on the wall when opening and closing a door.
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