Synonyms
Definition
A specialist that teaches individuals with physical impairments compensatory techniques for mobility.
The physical therapist teaches the rehab patient techniques to compensate for their functional deficits in the areas of bed mobility, transfers, and ambulation. The patient and PT may focus on techniques for rolling in bed using a combination of leg positioning and pushing with the upper limbs. Teaching the patient to bring their upper body forward to help unweight the buttocks for a bed to wheelchair transfer will also be stressed. They will also provide recommendations on exercise that may help an individual to improve their physical deficit or increase their overall function. Strengthening weak quadricep muscles to improve standing from a seated position or strengthening triceps to improve transfers to the wheelchair serve as examples. Maintaining range of motion of the joints is an important concept at any phase of rehabilitation as joint...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Recommended Reading
O’Sullivan S (2013) Physical rehabilitation. FA Davis, Philadelphia
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Fetkenhour, D. (2015). Physical Therapist. In: Papadakos, P.J., Gestring, M.L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Trauma Care. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29613-0_441
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29613-0_441
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-29611-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-29613-0
eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine