Physical Therapy - Dignity Health - Santa Maria, CA

Physical therapy is a type of rehabilitation care that helps people improve movement, reduce pain and regain strength after injury, illness or surgery. Physical therapists use guided exercises, hands-on techniques and movement training to support healing and restore function. Physical therapy can help people recover safely, prevent further injury and return to everyday activities such as walking, working or participating in sports.

Your doctor may recommend physical therapy to treat an orthopedic condition or injury before resorting to medications or surgery. It is often part of an overall recovery strategy after surgery.

Physical therapy is often prescribed for:

• Arm conditions/injuries

• Back pain

• Back surgery/treatment

• Common elbow conditions and injuries

• Elbow surgery

• Hand conditions/injuries

• Hand surgery

• Hip conditions/injuries

• Hip surgery

• Joint conditions/injuries

• Joint surgery/replacements

• Neck conditions/injuries

• Neck surgery

• Spine conditions/injuries

• Spine surgery/treatment

If you have chronic pain or disability, meet with a doctor at Dignity Health Physical Therapy in Santa Maria to see if physical therapy may be right for you.

When you meet with a physical therapist, you will talk about your condition or injury, the associated symptoms and your medical history. Your therapist will assess your range of motion, balance, strength and posture.

Depending on your condition, you may have several types of therapy, including:

• Chest physiotherapy, including deep breathing, coughing and manual pressure to help clear airway passages

• Education and training on how to perform exercises at home

• Electrical stimulation, including TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), therapeutic ultrasound and hot and cold therapy

• Gait and treadmill training to help improve stability, balance and coordination

• Massage therapy to reduce muscle pain and inflammation

• Range-of-motion exercises to improve mobility in joints

• Water therapy to decrease pain and muscle stiffness

You may benefit from seeing a physical therapist if pain, stiffness or an injury is limiting your movement or daily activities. Physical therapy can help after surgery, following a sports injury or when chronic conditions such as arthritis or back pain affect mobility. Early evaluation and treatment can support faster recovery and help prevent symptoms from worsening.

During your first physical therapy visit, the therapist will review your medical history, discuss your symptoms and evaluate strength, mobility, balance and movement patterns. Based on this evaluation, the therapist will create a personalized treatment plan designed to help you reach your recovery goals. Treatment may include guided exercises, hands-on therapy and education to support progress at home.

Physical therapy is often recommended after surgery to help restore strength, mobility and function. Postsurgical physical therapy can support recovery after procedures such as joint replacement, ligament repair or spine surgery.

A physical therapist guides patients through safe exercises and movement techniques designed to improve flexibility, reduce stiffness and rebuild muscle strength. Therapy also helps protect the surgical area while healing and may lower the risk of future injury. Recovery plans are personalized based on the type of surgery and each patient’s goals.