physical therapist

noun

plural physical therapists

: a person licensed to practice physical therapy : a health care professional who provides therapy to preserve, enhance, or restore movement and physical function that are impaired or threatened by disease, injury, or disability

… a physical therapist can show you exercises to maintain strength and movement in the affected area and may also use transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation …

—Self Healing

While activity may worsen pain, activity directed by physical therapists, which may be done in therapy sessions and sometimes at home, provides some relief.

—Schenectady (New York) Daily Gazette

—abbreviation PT

called also physiotherapist

Examples of physical therapist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, patients with ongoing symptoms, called persistent post-concussive symptoms, can benefit from a multidisciplinary care team that may include physicians, physical therapists, psychologists, and additional school support, Wilson said. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024

Good options include orthopedic physicians, physiatrists (who specialize in treating pain and physical impairments), or physical therapists. —Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 29 Oct. 2024

The expert team—respiratory therapists, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, occupational nurses, and physicians—monitors your improvement and adjusts your fitness plan based on your progress. —Matt Fuchs, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024

Doctors and physical therapists often recommend a medium-firm bed for those with back pain, but the soft hybrid build of the Puffy Lux works too. —Ashley Zlatopolsky, Architectural Digest, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

physical therapist

noun

: a person who is a specialist in physical therapy

Medical Definition

physical therapist

noun

: a person licensed to practice physical therapy : a health-care professional who provides therapy to preserve, enhance, or restore movement and physical function that are impaired or threatened by disease, injury, or disability

—abbreviation PT

called also physiotherapist