The PT Quiz Part 2:

Physical Therapy employs a variety of treatment techniques to help patients heal and regain strength. Take the challenge…how many of these PT terms do you know?

            1. ULTRASOUND is used in physical therapy to:                                                                                   a) create heat             b) examine injuries       c) produce white noise

            2. A TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit is used to:                                              a) reduce swelling       b) decrease pain          c) provide heat therapy

           3. A GONIOMETER is a special instrument used by physical therapists to measure:                          a) muscle strength     b) pain levels                c) range of motion

           4. ELECTRICAL STIMULATION (E Stim) uses an electrical current to cause muscles to:                      a) contract                 b) relax                          c) cool down

            5. JOINT MOBILIZATION occurs when your physical therapist:                                                           a) uses traction         b) removes a splint        c) passively moves your joints

At SPTA, patient education is a priority. We make sure our patients are well informed about treatment options and know the proper techniques to stay healthy long after therapy is done!

Check your answers below…

1. a) – Ultrasound uses sound waves to provide deep heating to soft tissues in the body including include muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments.  It is used to treat many musculoskeletal conditions like sprains, strains or tendonitis.

2. b) – A TENS unit is a small battery operated machine that uses electrical transmission to decrease pain. This signal disrupts the pain signal that is being sent from the affected area to the surrounding nerves. By breaking this signal, the patient experiences less pain.

3. c) – A Goniometer a device used in  to measure the range of motion around a joint in the body.  There are two “arms” of the goniometer: the stationary arm and the moveable arm.

4. a) - Electrical stimulation uses an electrical current to cause a single muscle or a group of muscles to contract. Contracting the muscle via electrical stimulation helps strengthen the affected muscle. As the muscle contracts, the blood supply is increased, which assists in healing.

5. c). -Joint Mobilization is a manual therapy intervention, a type of passive movement of a skeletal joint. This method can be used to help decrease pain and improve mobility.

Keep an eye out for the Physical Therapy Quiz Part 3…coming soon! In the meantime, if you have questions about PT, contact the experts at SPTA.