What Are Common Tools That Physical Therapists Use?

Physical therapists are trained specialists, but have you ever thought about what they use to do their jobs? These practitioners need more than just a treatment table to work on. Depending on your personal treatment plan, you may encounter a number of tools each designed for a specific purpose. No matter that purpose, everything carries the same goal of guiding your body into optimal shape. Take a look at some of the tools our physical therapists use at Impact Medical Spring Hill:

Tools For Planning Your Physical Therapy Journey

Arguably the most important part of any physical therapy journey is the initial assessment and evaluation. The results of these tests will determine what’s needed for your visits, how long it’ll take to see improvement, and so on. There are certain tools that provide accuracy in identifying your body’s exact condition, such as:

• Pinch gauges – A test of pinch strength
• Dynamometers – A test of pull strength
• Goniometers – A manual test for range of motion
• Inclinometers – An automatic test for range of motion

Pilates Gear For Gentle Stretching

Physical therapy typically involves exercise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean weightlifting or other intense workout regimens. A perfect example of light exercises involving gentle stretches needed for PT is Pilates. Common Pilates equipment is often used during physical therapy to help open up the body and improve or regain the range of motion in the joints:

Resistance Bands

You’ll find these stretchy rubber bands in many homes because they’re rather small and inexpensive, but a physical therapist can show you how to properly use them to best fit your physical therapy recovery plan.

Exercise Balls

These large, bouncy balls are popular because of their low difficulty level while still granting sufficient results. The stretches performed on exercise balls can loosen up the body for greater flexibility, all the while helping you practice balance.

Cuff Weights

The convenience of cuff weights is as simple as putting them on when you do your usual PT exercises. The added weight helps build strength while working on your range of motion simultaneously.

Cardio Equipment For Strength and Endurance

Stretches are important, but at some point, your PT plan may require you to get your heart pumping and your blood flowing. Cardio equipment is a great way to ease your body back into an active lifestyle, testing both your strength and durability. You may encounter similar cardio equipment at your physical therapist’s office as you would a home gym setup such as a treadmill or exercise bike. A piece of equipment that may be more unique to a practitioner’s office are parallel bars which can be used to help regain muscle strength and a sense of balance.

Supportive Devices For Enhanced Aid

Some patients may face additional challenges along their PT journey, in which case there will be assistive devices available to give you just the right amount of aid to help you perform your exercises. These assistive devices include:

• Wheelchairs
• Walkers
• Crutches
• Canes
• Gait belts
• Transfer boards
• And more

Effective Pain-Relieving Machines

There are times when pain would get in the way of a patient’s PT treatment. If that’s the case, there are machines designed to target certain areas of the body for precise pain relief. Electrotherapy is a common practice in physical therapy and chiropractic offices, using devices like TENS machines to repair nerve damage which can alleviate pain and discomfort.

Visit Your Reliable Physical Therapist at Impact Medical!

Get started on your physical therapy journey and experience some of these useful tools at our office! Contact Impact Medical Spring Hill today at 352-631-6512 to schedule your consultation for professional physical therapy services near you.