What is the difference between physical therapy and massage therapy?

Question

Any physical therapist's out there answer this please.

Answer 1

Physical therapy is rehabilitation to improve on physical impairments and functional limitations after an injury or illness. It can incorporate massage or soft tissue mobilization to do this. It also incorporates many other manual techniques (joint mobilization, myofascial release, passive range of motion/stretching), exercises, and modalities (electrical stimulation, laser, ultrasound, traction). And that is just orthopedic physical therapy. PT is also used in hospitals, pediatrics, nursing homes, schools, and business in different ways. There is much more to PT than "massage."

Massage therapy is hands on soft tissue manipulation using different techniques (deep tissue, Swedish, myofascial release, trigger point release, stretching). Education varies and so does quality. I refer my patients to licensed massage therapists who have a background in medicine to ensure quality.

Answer 2

I am not sure about it but if you take a look at the words at might be "physical therapy" is therapy which is applied to our body by putting something which can be cream, medicine or something else to help a patient. "massage therapy" is therapy by massaging

Answer 3

physical therapy is covered by your insurance and massage is not.

Answer 4

massaging is to relieve the stress pysical therepy is a process of recovering to move again