Exercise Therapy

What is it?

An exercise treatment plan to treat a health condition is called exercise therapy. It is used in a variety of conditions. A doctor, physical therapist, or occupational therapist usually prescribes exercise therapy based on the patient’s medical condition and physical state.

Examples of exercise therapy activities include:

• Passive motion
• Resistance training
• Aerobicexercise
• Balanceexercises
• Flexibilityexercises
• Water therapy

Some conditions such as vision problems require highly specialized exercises.

Exercise therapy may be included in a treatment plan for the following conditions:

• Obesity
• Stroke rehabilitation
• Low back pain
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Recovery from immobilization
• Arthritis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Cerebral palsy
• Depression

Does it work?

What modern science knows about exercise therapy:

How do we know a therapy works? We know a therapy works—or does not work—by looking at the scientific literature on that therapy. The most reliable study is a randomized clinical trial. Other studies are less reliable, but still valuable. Scientists look at both the quality and the type of study. Based on that information, a decision is then made about how well a therapy works.

The table below shows what modern science knows about using exercise therapy to treat the conditions that are listed.

Will it harm me?

When used correctly, the chance that this therapy will hurt you is minimal. Be sure to check with a health professional that you trust if you are thinking about using this therapy.