From being a fan to improving function: A day in the life of a physical therapist

This post was written by Heidi Wulff Plumb Graham, a physical therapist at our Chicago Midway clinic.

Physical therapy is a great profession. We assist people in improving range of motion, strength, balance, and endurance after an injury or surgery. The ultimate goal is to return patients to their prior level of function, which simply means returning to everything they were able to do before their injury/surgery.

Physical therapists and their patients work as a team to achieve all of the patients’ goals, whether it is to sit independently, walk 400 feet, safely carry groceries into the house, or return to bowling. Physical therapists have the tools to get you to where you want to be.

I couldn’t imagine myself in any other career. As a physical therapist I get to help people improve their quality of life by decreasing their pain and improving their functional ability. There is no greater reward than seeing people achieve things they never thought possible, or being able to help them in a way no one has before.

Physical therapy seeks to make the body physically function better through strengthening, stretching, and balance training, however I believe physical therapy has a psychological component as well. It’s amazing how people can feel better just from talking to someone who listens!

Being a physical therapist also entails being a cheerleader as you need to motivate your patients to complete the tough exercises and take responsibility for their own health by performing their exercises at home.

If the human body intrigues you, you enjoy interacting with people, and couldn’t imagine sitting at a desk all day, physical therapy may be for you!