Wound Care

Wound care involves the use of a variety of methods to make sure that a wound heals as fast and as strong as it can, and that it does not get infected. Perhaps the most important role of the physical therapist involved in your wound care is to prevent other problems and illnesses from developing while the wound is healing.

Some wounds that physical therapists are involved in caring for are diabetic ulcers (wounds caused by diabetes) and pressure sores (wounds caused by being bed-bound or wheelchair-bound). These conditions limit the amount of blood and nutrition flowing to the wound, and therefore without special treatment these wounds may not heal. Physical therapists involved in wound care are knowledgeable about cleaning wounds, applying dressings to wounds, and speeding up the healing of wounds.

Some tools and techniques that physical therapists use to speed up healing include debridement, therapeutic ultrasound, ultraviolet light, and electrical stimulation.