physical therapy

American  

noun

1. the treatment or management of physical disability, malfunction, or pain by exercise, massage, hydrotherapy, etc., without the use of medicines, surgery, or radiation.

2. the health profession that provides such care.

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physical therapy British  

noun

1. another term for physiotherapy

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Other Word Forms

• physical therapist
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of physical therapy

First recorded in 1920–25

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

physical therapy

Those resources are expensive and difficult to provide in ordinary physical therapy clinics.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

They may be more open to going to the gym or physical therapy or doing at-home stretches — all proven ways to address back and knee pain.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Hinge Health, which offers app-based physical therapy for back and joint pain, is paid mostly by employers and health plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Gutierrez said that the cost of the surgeries for Jackson, his physical therapy and a wheelchair as he recovers will reach into the tens of thousands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

I told her what the doctors had told me: I would have to undergo several surgeries and months of physical therapy, but my face would eventually improve.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai

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