Physical Therapy Supplies Needed to Be Successful
When a physical therapist finishes schooling, he or she often has to shop around and find the perfect place for work, whether opening their own practice or joining an established one. For those that wish to enter the business solo, there are a number of physical therapy supplies they’ll need to purchase in order to completely service their clientele. Having these allows a physical therapist to handle even the most complicated cases and patients.
For hand and arm strengthening and manipulation, few items beat putty, bands and tubing. These weigh very little and can be easily stored, yet provide the same amount of resistance as their free weight equivalent. Bands and tubing use rubber or polymer construction to provide resistance and can be used for thousands of exercises. Putty comes in prepackaged resistance weights, usually color-coded. Putty brings back the fine motor coordination and strength needed for everyday tasks.
Bedding and towels are also an absolute must. No matter how small an office, a physical therapist should always have a comfortable bed for patients when they need rest or recuperation. This makes it easier to recover from an intense workout session. Towels are always necessary since physical therapy can be very intense. These should come in a variety of sizes, from simple hand towels to massive bathing towels.
A staple of the physical therapist office is the topical analgesic Biofreeze. Not only does this provide intense and instant relief from muscle soreness and strain, but when used before a workout, actually helps increase the strength of the muscle and numb the body to soreness. It works by increasing blood flow to the applied area, speeding up the healing process. It comes in gel, spray, roll-on or tube units and can be applied during a workout or at home for “homework” rehabilitation.
Electrical muscle stimulation devices are a handy but slightly expensive addition to physical therapy supplies. These allow trained specialists to individually stimulate muscles to relieve pain and build strength. Suited perfectly for patients unable to perform many traditional exercises, they have come down dramatically in cost over the last decade.
These are only a few of supplies needed to get a successful physical therapy practice started, but will provide a good start in getting the business off the ground. Although the initial investment might be substantial, the majority of the equipment is reasonably rugged and will last for years or even decades.