Physical therapy is a common treatment that can help you recover after an injury or surgery, or manage symptoms from a health condition that affects how you move. It’s a combination of exercises, stretches and movements that’ll increase your strength, flexibility and mobility to help you move safely and more confidently. Physical therapy is treatment that helps you improve how your body performs physical movements. It can be part of a generalized pain management plan or a specific treatment for an injury or health condition. It’s common to need physical therapy after many types of surgery, too. You might also need physical therapy to help prevent injuries before they happen. You’ll work with a physical therapist — a healthcare provider who’ll make sure you’re safe during your therapy. How long you’ll need physical therapy depends on which injuries or health conditions you have and which area of your body needs help moving better. Some people only need a few weeks of physical therapy to help with a short-term issue. Others need it for months or years to manage symptoms of a chronic (long-term) condition.