What Is Physical Therapy?

Physical Therapy is a rehabilitative treatment targeted at helping patients improve, maintain, and recover their physical function and abilities, after having surgery, an injury, or suffering from an acute or chronic condition. Physical therapy is a dynamic profession with widespread clinical applications in the restoration, maintenance, and promotion of optimal physical function. Physical therapists (PTs) are licensed health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTs examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. Also, PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles.

At Moreau Physical Therapy our physical therapists provide care for people in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, schools, sports and fitness facilities, work settings, and nursing homes.

What Injuries Or Conditions Can Be Treated With Physical Therapy?

At Moreau Physical Therapy we treat many different injuries and conditions. If you have been injured or experiencing pain and discomfort, we are available by appointment through a new Louisiana law called Direct Access (hyperlinked to own page). This law allows patients to book appointments with physical therapy practices without a prescription or referral from a doctor. Here are the most common conditions and injuries we treat at Moreau Physical Therapy:

What Types Of Physical Therapy Treatments Are Offered?

Orthopedic and Manual Physical Therapy – treatment focused one musculoskeletal injury resulting from bones, muscle, ligaments, fascias, and tendons. Various types of treatment offered are manual therapy, strength training, joint mobilization, mobility training and other treatment modalities.

Neurological Physical Therapy – helps people recover from neurological disorders and
conditions including osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, balance disorders, and hip and joint replacement. Goals of treatment are restoring mobility, reduce pain and increase physical abilities.

Pediatric Physical Therapy – treats most pediatric diagnoses including: genetic syndromes, orthopedic conditions, premature infants, torticollis, hypotonia/hypertonia, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, autism spectrum disorders, speech delay, auditory processing disorders, feeding and swallowing disorders, sensory integration disorders and developmental delay.

Vestibular Rehabilitation – is a specialized form of therapy intended to alleviate both the primary and secondary problems caused by vestibular disorders. It is an exercise-based program designed to reduce vertigo and dizziness, gaze instability, and imbalance and falls.

Schroth Method For Scoliosis – teaches you how to correct spinal rotation and increase lung capacity with a rotational breathing technique. The exercises used with Schroth help restore normal spinal alignment, pelvic corrections, breathing technique and stabilizing isometric contractions.

Speech and Language Therapy – is an intervention service that focuses on improving a child or adult’s speech and abilities to understand and express language, whether written or verbal.

Aquatic Therapy – provides a wide range of patients the opportunity to gain functional improvements by using a medium that lessens physical stress. It can accomplish this by unloading and therefore protecting the weight-bearing joints of the body, which thus allows patients to tolerate physical activity.

Dry Needling – is a treatment for relieving muscular tightness, spasm, and pain, which commonly follows injuries, and often accompanies the degenerative processes due to stress and overuse of the muscles.

Lymphedema Management – Our physical therapist will work closely with you to serve as an essential member of your healthcare team to design and develop a treatment program aimed at helping control the swelling and returning you to normal activities.

Graston Technique – is an innovative, patented form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that enables clinicians to break down scar tissue and fascial restrictions effectively. The technique utilizes patented stainless steel instruments, uniquely shaped to treat different areas of the body.

What to Expect During Your First Visit?

Our physical therapist help takes care of patients in all aspects of healing, from diagnosis through prevention to restoration of function and recovery. Physical therapy can be a stand-alone treatment option or work in conjunction with other treatments. The Moreau physical therapists (PT) will begin by asking you lots of questions about your health and about the specific condition for which you are seeing the physical therapist. Your physical therapist may ask you specific questions about your home or work environment, your health habits, and activity level, and your leisure and recreational interests so that the therapist can help you become as active and independent as possible. Detailed information about you and your condition will help the physical therapist determine whether you are likely to benefit from physical therapy and which treatments are most likely to help you.

During your first visit, our PT will perform a detailed examination. Depending on your symptoms and condition, our physical therapist might evaluate your strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, posture, blood pressure, and heart rate. They might use his or her hands to examine or “palpate” the affected area or to perform a detailed examination of the mobility of your joints, muscles, and other tissues.

What Are The Goals Of Physical Therapy Treatment?

We will work with you to determine your goals for physical therapy and will begin to develop a plan for your treatment. In many cases, the physical therapist will make a diagnosis and start treatment almost immediately. One of the primary goals of treatment is almost always to improve or maintain your ability to do your daily tasks and activities. To reach this goal, the PT may need to focus on pain, swelling, weakness, or limited motion. Your physical therapist will continuously assess your response to each treatment and will make adjustments as needed.