Geriatric physical therapy is a subspecialty which emphasizes the needs of aging adults. Aging adults can encounter numerous conditions related to the aging process, including Gait and Balance disorders, Posture training, Fall prevention, General deconditioning, Muscle weakness, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis. This ultimately may lead to inability to lead an independent life. Geriatric physical therapy focusses on the unique needs of elderly by improving strength and endurance in older individuals to help them lead an independent life. Geriatric physical therapy generally include:

• Reducing fall risk: More than one in four people age 65 years or older fall each year.er injuries. As the age increases, the risk of falling increases in senior adults. Most falls can be prevented by exercising, managing medications, checking vision , and making home safer. A physical therapist can teach fall prevention strategies to prevent falls and fear of falling in older adults.

• Decreasing pain from chronic conditions: Physical therapy can help reduce pain and discomfort due to conditions like arthritis or osteoporosis and improve strength and functional mobility to improve quality of life in older individuals.

• Lessening dependence on prescription drugs: Most older individuals are on prescription drugs to help manage their chronic pain. Physical therapy can help them reduce the dependence on prescription drugs by providing comfort through physical methods.

• Promote an independent lifestyle: Physical therapy can enable older individuals to take control of their bodies and help them move around with more confidence thereby, improving their quality of life.

Orthopedic physical therapy focuses on treating the condition related to the musculoskeletal system which includes muscles, bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments.. The aim of orthopedic physical therapy is to help in healing the injury properly and to improve strength, range of motion, and overall improve functional mobility. Orthopedic physical therapy involves use of  different techniques like Manual Therapy, Joint Mobilization, Manual Muscle Stretching, Soft Tissue Mobilization, therapeutic exercises, proprioceptive training and modalities like ice, heat, electric stimulation and ultrasound therapy. Here are a few of the conditions that can be managed with skilled Orthopedic physical therapy

1. ACL tear
2. Knee instability
3. Knee pain
4. Prehab before joint replacement
5. Joint replacements (total knee/hip/ shoulder replacement)
6. Meniscus tearPatella pain
7. Knee replacement
8. Hip bursitis
9. Hip pain
10. Achilles tendon injuries
11. Sprain/ Strains
12. Foot and ankle pain
13. Plantar fasciitis
14. Carpal tunnel syndrome
15. Tennis elbow
16. Wrist pain
17. Rotator cuff tear
18. Degenerative disc disease
19. Herniated disc
20. Scoliosis
21. Spinal stenosis
22. Torn disc
23. Arthritis
24. Cartilage damage
25. Frozen shoulder
26. Lower back pain
27. Mid back pain
28. Neck pain
29. Sciatica
30. Spondylosis
31. Ankylosing spondylitis
32. Fractures

Neurological physical therapy focuses on helping  people in recovering from conditions related to the nervous system which includes brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves or prevent the progression of chronic neurological conditions. Condition which can be managed by neurological physical therapy include:

1. Strokes
2. Spinal cord injuries
3. Traumatic brain injuries
4. Multiple sclerosis
5. Parkinson’s disease Cerebral palsy
6. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/ Lou Gehrig’s disease
7. Guillain-Barre syndrome
8. Polyneuropathies
9. Vertigo, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy focuses primarily on enhancing the fuction of the heart and the lungs . Physical therapy can help to manage a variety of conditions related to the lungs, heart and vascular system, including COPD, hypertension, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, Myocardial infarction and heart failure.
Cardiopulmonary physical therapy may include following different interventions:
• Graded cardiovascular training: This involves performing exercises like running, cycling, swimming or dancing that gradually increase the load on the heart which causes elevated heart rate and respiration and thereby increasing blood flow throughout the body. These exercises are performed while maintaining a close monitoring of cardiovascular and pulmonary functions, to ensure the safety of the patient.

• Resistance training: This involves the use of  free weights, medicine balls, weight machines and resistance bands, in order to improve the strength of the targeted muscle. This helps to diminish undue stress on certain parts of the body and ultimately reduces the impaired body mechanics or risk of overuse injuries.

• Breathing exercises: This involves teaching correct breathing techniques to improve the work of breathing and helping the patient to be able to perform tasks of daily living without getting breathlessness.

• Techniques for Airway clearance: when patients have mucus accumulation or chronic blockages in the respiratory system it can impact their ability to breathe correctly and have difficulty in performing the activities due to imapired oxygen delivery. This technique involves training the patient for clearing their blocked airways to open up the tracts for more airflow. 

• Chest mobilization exercises: This involves teaching the exercises to restore movement and flexibility in the chest wall. This helps to improve the entry and exit of air through the respiratory passages and ultimately improve the efficiency of breathing.