What is a Neurologic Physical Therapist
- What is a Neurologic Physical Therapist?
- When should you see a physical therapist who specializes in neurology?
- How can you locate a physical therapist that specializes in neurology?
What is a neurologic physical therapist?
A neurologic physical therapist is a physical therapist who specializes in the evaluation and treatment of individuals with movement problems due to disease or injury of the nervous system. Physical therapists who specialize in neurology work with a broad range of conditions in both adults and children that include:
- Spinal cord injury
- Brain injury that results from trauma or conditions such as stroke or tumors
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Polyneuropathies such a Guillian-Barre syndrome or chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy
- Vestibular disorders such as BPPV, acoustic neuroma, or other conditions that cause dizziness and loss of balance
- Pediatric conditions such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy
When should you see a physical therapist who specializes in neurology?
A neurologic physical therapist can help you if you have any of the following complaints:
- Dizziness
- Imbalance that results in falls
- Difficulty walking or moving around in your daily life
- Changes in your ability to do the things that you enjoy in your life like recreational activities or outings with your family
- If you are not able to walk 6 minutes without having to stop to rest
- If you need more help than you did before to go through your daily activities
- If you have a brace or wheelchair that is in disrepair and needs to be reevaluated
How can you locate a physical therapist that specializes in neurology?
The American Physical Therapy Association at http://www.apta.org offers a consumer service called Find a PT. Enter your zip code and your preferred distance for travel. Then select "Neurologic" under the expertise drop down menu item.
Look for a Neurologic Clinical Specialist! A Neurologic Clinical Specialist (NCS) is a physical therapist who has had advanced training or practice in the area of neurologic physical therapy. These PT's have been awarded the designation NCS because they have met the requirements and passed a specialty examination of the American Board of Physical Therapist Specialists.