What is Physical Therapy & Who Needs It?

For those of you who know what physical therapy is — great! Unfortunately, most people have no clue what physical therapists do. Even worse, a lot of medical professions, including physicians, are limited in their knowledge of a physical therapist skill benefit outside of sports injuries.

We Don’t Only Work With Athletes

You may be thinking – they just give people exercises to get stronger, right? Or “My grandma got Physical Therapy after she broke her hip!”

Physical therapists are medical providers who go through seven years of training including four years of undergraduate studies and three years of graduate studies. Doctoral education includes over 1,000 hours of hands-on clinical education in addition to didactic training. Our clinical doctorate is equivalent to the degrees obtained by dentists, optometrist and chiropractors.

Doctors of physical therapy (DPTs) who pass the national board exam are movement specialists. As “Doctors of Movement” we can evaluate, assess, diagnose, treat, and manage many conditions.

We understand how to use health & wellness principles to prevent injuries and diseases and help you live a healthy lifestyle.

Okay, I know you’re wondering “what EXACTLY can I see a Physical Therapist for?”

A lot!

If you are concerned about anything going on in your health status, a physical therapist is an appropriate person to consult with.

Anchor Wellness Center Physical Therapy Specialties:

  • Cardiovascular impairments
  • Sports injuries
  • Pediatric care
  • Pelvic health
  • Integumentary/Wound Care
  • Geriatric care
  • Orthopedics
  • Oncology
  • Neurology
  • Home Health
  • Hand and Upper Extremity

If our patients are experiencing symptoms we cannot help, Physical Therapist’s are trained to recognize pathology outside of our scope and expertise and make referrals accordingly. We work in close coordination with medical professionals across the continuum of care. With the culmination in a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree came the ability to access Physical Therapy without referral from a medical doctor which has been available in Ohio since 2004.

About the author:

Dr. Sarah Cash Crawford, PT, DPT, COMT, CMTPT, is a physical therapist and certified myofasical trigger point therapist through Myopain Seminars ®, the only certifying body of Trigger Point Dry Needling in the US. Dr. Crawford trained under Jan Dommerholt, PT the founder of Myopain Seminars ®. Dr. Crawford has been performing Trigger Point Dry Needling the Cincinnati area since 2013 and was the first CMTPT in the state of Ohio. She has been a practicing physical therapy since 2011. With a background in neurologic rehabilitation, manual therapy and a specialty in treating chronic pain, Dr. Crawford began studying dry needling to further expand her treatment options to help patients overcome the influence of myofascial restriction. Dr. Crawford is the founder of the Anchor Wellness Center & Anchor Wellness, Inc., an integrative health practice that specializes in physical therapy and pilates.