Orthopedic Physical Therapy

Get back to better than you were before

After surgery, injury or an acute illness, patients need special care from physical therapists to help resume their normal, active lifestyles. At Brookwood Baptist Medical Center, we offer personalized physical rehabilitation therapy to meet every patient’s needs so that we can get you back on your feet as quickly as possible.

The goal of orthopedic physical therapy is to help patients rebuild their strength, regain their range of motion and move and function after an injury or surgery. Physical therapists or physiotherapists (PTs) use various techniques to help patients manage or relieve pain and boost strength, coordination, flexibility and range of motion.

Usually, procedures are done in inpatient or outpatient physical therapy rehabilitation centers, physical therapy facilities or physical therapy clinics across Birmingham, AL or, in some cases, at home.
Brookwood Baptist Medical Center’s physical therapy clinic in Birmingham, AL aims to give patients pain-free movement, improved independence and maximum function through personalized plans for all ages and diagnoses.

What do Orthopedic Physical Therapists Do?

An orthopedic physical therapist evaluates patients, educates them on ways to relieve pain and become healthier, provides a rehab or treatment plan based on their specific needs and helps patients get stronger, improve their ability to function and move better daily. Some PTs specialize in particular conditions or patient populations.

For example, some PTs work primarily with sports patients, older adults, arthritis patients, etc. When it comes to physical therapy, you make many important choices, the first of which is whom you trust to guide you through it. Brookwood Baptist Medical Center's Physical Rehabilitation team provides customized therapy for recovery after orthopedic surgery or treatment. Other health professionals and physicians that may be part of the team include:

Other physicians:

Neurologists
Pain specialists
Primary care doctors
Psychiatrists
Sports medicine specialists

Other health professionals:

Athletic trainers
Counselors
Nurse practitioners
Physical therapists
Physician assistants
Psychologists
Social workers
Vocational workers

Benefits of Orthopedic Physical Therapy

Physical therapy provides several benefits, such as:

Maximize movement – physical therapists help to maintain and restore function as possible
Get the recommended physical activity – especially for people with heart disease, diabetes, obesity, depression and some cancers
Care for specific needs – treatment plans are created to cater to a person’s unique needs
Avoid surgery – some pain and movement problems may lead to surgery, but physical therapists help to avoid this
Aid recovery – physical therapists help people to take an active role in their recovery

Physical Therapy Treatment Options

There are many treatment options available in Birmingham, AL for physical therapy patients to achieve health goals, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Cryotherapy
Dry needling
Electrical stimulation
Exercise therapy
Joint mobilization
Hydrotherapy
Kinesiology taping
Laser or light therapy
Patient education
Soft tissue manipulation
Thermotherapy
Traction
Using assistive devices
Spinal surgery physical rehabilitation services after fusions, discectomies, laminectomies or nonoperative back pain

Conditions That Can Be Treated With Physical Therapy

Brookwood Baptist Medical Center’s orthopedic physical therapy program involves a wide range of techniques that offer treatment for pain, swelling and other complications from musculoskeletal conditions. These conditions include but are not limited to:

Arthritis resulting in neck, back or knee pain, as well as fibromyalgia or polymyalgia rheumatica
Impaired balance related to vertigo or the lower extremities
Recovery from joint replacements or arthroscopic surgeries of the hip, knee and shoulder
Lymphedema of the upper or lower extremities related to post-mastectomy or chemo/radiation-induced swellings
Neurological conditions including strokes, transient ischemic attacks, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and ALS
Speech and swallowing difficulties like aphasias and dysarthria
Pregnancy-related back pain, postpartum and SI joint pain and pelvic floor issues
Sports injuries like rotator cuff tears, anterior cruciate ligament tears, sprains, back and neck pain
Headaches/migraine pain
Decreased endurance and increased fatigue with walking difficulties due to foot pain
Back pain
Bursitis
Some cancers
Muscular dystrophy
Scoliosis
Stroke

Lymphedema Treatment

Brookwood Baptist Medical Center offers trained lymphedema specialists in Birmingham, AL. Lymphedema is chronic swelling in a portion of the body. The swelling is due to an accumulation of protein-rich fluid in the tissue spaces under the skin. Lymphedema frequently occurs in the treatment of any cancer that involves surgery for lymph node removal and radiation therapy. Other causes of lymphedema are trauma, infection, immobility and chronic venous insufficiencies. Brookwood Baptist Medical Center also offers lymphedema therapy called complete decongestive therapy (CDT), a multifaceted treatment consisting of manual lymph drainage, compression therapy, exercise, skincare and self-management education.

Orthopedic Physical Rehabilitation Services

Whether recovering from an orthopedic injury, managing a neurological disorder or experiencing a life-changing event, Brookwood Baptist Medical Center’s rehabilitation specialists can help you through it. Our professional staff believes that the mental and emotional aspects of treatment are just as important as the physical. Therefore, we take a multidisciplinary approach in the assessment, evaluation and treatment plan to encourage each patient’s highest level of independence. Other rehabilitation services at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center include:

Rehabilitation medicine
Rehabilitation nursing
Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Speech and language pathology
Case manager
Social worker
Respiratory services
Dietitian services
Renal dialysis
Wound care
Chaplaincy
Telemetry

Why Choose Brookwood Baptist Medical Center?

Our goal at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center is more than just treating patients – we are focused on genuinely caring for the people with excellent physical therapy services in Birmingham, AL. After all, this is our home too. And with all the technology, facilities and expertise at our disposal, we still believe the most valuable asset is our care for people. On top of that, you can rest assured that we have an experienced team with Brookwood Baptist Medical Center’s accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). This organization establishes patient-focused standards to help measure and improve the quality of rehabilitation programs and services