An understanding of the disablement process as well as knowledge of the process of making informed clinical decisions based on evidence from the scientific literature are necessary foundations of comprehensive management of patients seeking and receiving physical therapy services. Provision of quality patient care involves the ability to make sound clinical judgments, solve problems that […]

Understanding the relationships among pathology, impairments, functional limitations, and perceived disability is fundamental to the prevention or reduction of disability. The presence of functional limitations may or may not lead to loss of independence and result in disability. Take, for example, a relatively inactive person with long-standing osteoarthritis of the knees. The inability to get […]

The final category of the disablement continuum is disability. There is a growing body of knowledge suggesting that physical impairments and functional limitations directly contribute to disability.Consequently, an approach to patient management that focuses on restoring or improving function may prevent or reduce disability and may have a positive impact on quality of life.
A disability […]

Functional limitations in the physical domain deal with the performance of sensorimotor tasks, that is, total body actions that are typically components or elements of functional activities. These activities include basic activities of daily living (ADL), such as bathing, dressing, or feeding, and the more complex tasks known as instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), […]

Functional limitations, the third component of the disablement model, occur at the level of the whole person. They are the result of impairments and are characterized by the reduced ability of a person to perform actions or components of motor skills in an efficient or typically expected manner. For example, restricted range of motion (impairment) […]

This first major component of the disablement model refers to disruptions of the body’s homeostasis as the result of acute or chronic diseases, disorders, or conditions characterized by a set of abnormal findings (clusters of signs and symptoms) that are indicative of alterations or interruptions of structure or function of the […]

Several models that depict the process of disablement have been proposed over the past 40 years. The first two schema developed were the Nagi model and the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH) model for the World Health Organization (WHO). The ICIDH model was revised after its original publication, with adjustments made in […]

It has been said that the physical therapy profession is defined by a body of knowledge and clinical applications that are directed toward the elimination or resolution of disability.Understanding the disabling consequences of disease, injury, and abnormalities of development and how the risk of potential disability can be reduced, therefore, must be fundamental to the […]

Therapeutic exercise procedures embody a wide variety of activities, actions, and techniques. The techniques selected for an individualized therapeutic exercise program are based on a therapist’s determination of the underlying cause or causes of a patient’s impairments, functional limitations, or disability.The types of therapeutic exercise interventions presented here are listed below. Additional […]

Almost everyone, regardless of age, values the ability to function as independently as possible during everyday life. Health-care consumers (patients and clients) typically seek out or are referred for physical therapy services because of physical impairments associated with movement disorders caused by injury, disease, or health-related conditions that interfere with […]

Continued from Patient-Client Management Model (Part 1)
Prognosis—the predicted optimal level of functional improvement within a time frame—will also help determine intervention strategies. Predicting the level of improvement guides the intensity, duration, and style of intervention. The combination of diagnosis and prognosis is used to justify physical therapy management. The prognosis for […]