The medical field has grown more and more complex over the past few decades. It used to be that the first stop for almost everything from a cough to a bad sprain was a family doctor. Now there are many areas of practice and different types of professionals in each one. You may receive more specialized care from certain types of providers, but navigating the health care system has become quite a challenge. At the same time, professionals within an increasingly compartmentalized system often don’t see the full picture of your unique health condition.

Physical therapists are licensed professionals with advanced degrees and a certain amount of required experience. They take a holistic and practical approach to helping patients with common injuries and health conditions. They provide natural treatments, education and rehabilitation that empower you to take charge of your own wellness.

This article differentiates the roles of physical therapists and medical doctors, and it provides some background information on how a physical therapist can help you get well and stay well.

What are the differences between physical therapists and medical doctors?

There are some important distinctions to make between physical therapists and medical doctors. The type of education they receive is just one important factor — physical therapists also use different assessment methods and treatment approaches. Physical therapists do not prescribe medications, and they don’t perform invasive treatments or surgery. They use evidence-based practices that might involve touch and tissue manipulation, electrical stimulation, therapeutic exercise, or rehabilitation methods to support the body’s natural healing processes. They can also help patients with immobilization equipment like splints. PTs often develop a closer relationship with their patients because they see them more frequently. 

At our Lattimore Physical Therapy clinics, we have 30 PTs with a Certification in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (COMT). This postgraduate certification gives them advanced expertise in making treatment decisions and creating personalized treatment plans. 

All physical therapists must complete an accredited three-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. A DPT is different from a medical doctor (M.D.) or a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.). Just like a professional with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.), it’s standard to call them by their first name rather than “doctor.” They must also pass their state licensure exam, and some states have additional requirements. 

How can a physical therapist help me stay well?

Your physical therapist will likely collaborate with your doctor to help you achieve specific health and wellness goals. PTs begin their initial assessments with in-depth physical testing and interview questions. Your PT will want to get a clear picture of your illness or your injury, how it’s affecting your life, your current abilities, and what’s important to you. While they can’t provide a formal diagnosis, they can help you understand your condition and create a personalized treatment plan.

A physical therapist can help you with the following:

• Health education — Your PT can help you understand what’s happening in your body and how to care for yourself at home. They can explain how different conditions might affect you and how your body’s healing processes work. They can suggest lifestyle adjustments to help you manage your condition and make better wellness decisions in general.
• Pain management — Many physical therapy treatments aim to minimize pain, swelling and inflammation while your body heals. Your PT can educate you on ways to manage your pain at home. Strengthening and range-of-motion exercises can help with long-term pain reduction.
• Recovery and rehabilitation — Physical therapy can help you make a faster and more complete recovery from many types of injuries and illnesses. If you’ve lost strength, coordination, flexibility or range of motion, your physical therapist can help you rehabilitate. For those with overuse injuries or chronic pain, this often means adjusting the way you move to prevent further injury.
• Pre- and postsurgery — PT isn’t just for postsurgical recovery. It can help you prepare physically and mentally for your procedure as well. For instance, you might strengthen your muscles around a damaged joint and plan ahead so you’ll know what to expect in recovery.
• Balance and gait training — Conditions like vertigo, concussions or stroke can affect your balance and your ability to walk. Balance training and vestibular rehabilitation help you maintain balance and control when you move. Gait training focuses on your walking style. For some, it might involve strengthening weak points or imbalances in their stride. Others might need to recover their ability to stand, turn, shift their weight and walk after a major health event.
• Fall and injury prevention — Older adults and those with limited mobility may need fall prevention training. Physical therapists help them learn ways to avoid falling and minimize any injuries if they do fall. People recovering from sports injuries or overuse injuries also need help with preventing reinjury.
• Sports performance training — PTs help athletes with many different aspects of their performance beyond injury recovery and prevention. They can help with the basics of good form and strength and endurance training. In addition, PTs can create tailored workout programs to help you with a specific sport. 
• Women’s health — Did you know PTs can treat issues that are specific to women’s health, such as pelvic floor dysfunction and osteoarthritis during menopause? They can also help women with pain during pregnancy and preparation for childbirth.

What kinds of services do physical therapists provide?

Unlike medical doctors, physical therapists provide natural treatments that support your overall health as you work on specific goals. They don’t prescribe pharmaceuticals or use invasive treatment methods. They may use their hands, ergonomic tools, equipment like splints and kinesiology tape, a traction table, or electrical stimulation. 

Your physical therapist may use a combination of the following techniques and more:

• Manual therapy — The basis of most PT treatment plans, manual therapy loosens up stiff joints and tissue. It promotes healing and reduces pain by increasing circulation in targeted areas.
• Therapeutic exercise and stretching — Another PT essential, guided exercises and stretching are helpful for rehabilitation and injury prevention. 
• Ultrasound — This treatment uses an ultrasound wand that’s a bit different than ones used for imaging. It emits heat waves to help relieve muscle strains, ligament sprains and tendinitis. 
• Electrical stimulation and TENS — TENS (transcutaneous electrical neuromuscular stimulation) and electrical stimulation are both physical therapy modalities that address tissue injuries. 
• Spinal decompression — PTs can use a few different techniques and pieces of equipment like traction tables to help with safe and nonsurgical spinal decompression. 
• Kinesiology taping — Kinesiology taping is a specific type of taping strategy that helps support the muscles surrounding a weakened joint. It’s especially helpful for athletes and people who do a lot of moving and lifting at work. It helps improve circulation, reduce bruising and relieve inflammation in the area. 
• Aquatic therapy — Exercise in an aquatic therapy pool provides a bit of resistance, and the buoyancy of the water takes pressure off the joints. Aquatic therapy is great for people with osteoarthritis, joint injuries and fibromyalgia.

Explore physical therapy treatments at Lattimore PT

Physical therapists provide a very different treatment experience than medical doctors do. Both are necessary and important at different times. At Lattimore PT, we empower our team to take a “hands-on” approach so they can help patients achieve the best results. 

Are you ready to partner with a physical therapist for better health and wellness? You can make an appointment today because New York is a direct access state. That means you don’t need a referral to see a physical therapist. We also accept most major insurance plans.

Wellness is within your reach. Contact our team today with any questions or to schedule an initial appointment.