Introduction to Physical therapy

Physical Therapy is the oldest science of medical practice, physical agents have been used for treatment of disease for thousands of years.

Examples taken from the physical therapy literature have shown the following :

The primitive man who crawled into the sunshine to receive the benefits of its warmth and vitalizing effects started the practice of sun-therapy 

Some definitions of physical therapy 

A- PT is “a dynamic profession with an established theoretical and scientific base and widespread clinical applications in the restoration, maintenance, and promotion of optimal physical function.”

B- PT is “the treatment of injuries and diseases by physical modalities/agents which include hands of physical therapist (PTst), water, mud, wax, heat, …..etc. It’s used to help the patient (Px) regain his/her normal physical abilities, and to give Px the opportunity to achieve his/her maximal potential in terms of activities at home, work, leisure ……etc.”

C- Pt is “a systemic method of assessing musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, integumentary, and neurological disorders of function including pain and those of psychosomatic origin, and of dealing with or preventing those troubles by natural modalities based essentially on movement, manual therapy, and physical agents "