Physical therapy apps for patients have certainly come a long way, but determining the best apps for physical therapists is based on the needs of the therapist and their patients.

To help you out, we’ve narrowed down this list to the Top 20 best physical therapy apps for patients!

Physical Therapy Apps for Patients: Anatomy and Injury Insights

1. Orca Health App

This iOS app allows physical therapists to explain medical conditions in simple terms to their patients.

It provides interactive anatomical 3D models, as well as videos and images that show common injuries to the shoulder, knee, and spine. It also contain a number of stretching and strengthening videos that patients can refer to when doing their exercises at home.

2. Pocket Anatomy

This award-winning app provides a highly accurate, interactive overview of the anatomy of the human body.

Users can zoom into a specific area of the body to view the various layers such as skin and connective tissue. They can also view the skeletal, lymphatic, circulatory, and nervous system, making it easy to give patients a full understanding of how their injury is affecting their health.

3. Muscle & Bone Anatomy 3D

This physical therapy app provides a detailed, 3D anatomical overview of the body’s different layers of muscle, as well as the skeletal system.

Users can rotate the body to slowly strip away the layers, highlighting information about the muscles. And touching this information pulls up a more detailed description, as well as a larger image of the muscle and even an audio feature so you can hear its name pronounced correctly.

4. CMV: Slow Frame-Frame Video Analysis

This free app offers the ability to instantly review and analyze any video. Additionally, you can calculate the angles between lines, making it easy to see room for improvement.

This app also allows you to draw or write notes, review in slow motion in forward, reverse, or frame-by-frame.

Physical Therapy Exercise Apps for Home Rehabilitation

5. PT Pal Pro

This app offers an easy yet practical way for physical therapists to ensure their patients do their exercises—and do them well.

You can send the exercise list directly to your patient’s phone, allowing your client to see what exercises he or she has to do for flexibility, strength, and stability, with both illustrated and video instructions. The app reminds the patient when to do the exercises, counts the repetitions out loud, and monitors the patient’s progress so you can review it even when the patient isn’t at your clinic.

6. Pain Therapy: Physical Therapy Exercise Videos

This app is perfect for patients who need constant guidance with their home exercises. It contains a library of exercise and stretching videos—all performed by a physical therapist—to help manage and reduce pain.

An Internet connection is needed the first time the patient plays each video. After that, it’s stored on the device and can be played at his or her convenience.

7. Physioadvisor

What sets this app apart from the others is that all of the exercises have been selected based on the benefit they can provide to the general population and how frequently they’re prescribed in clinical practice.

All of the content is constructed by highly experienced physical therapists, with more than 500 exercises with 800 images provided, including detailed instructions on how to perform the exercises correctly.

You can send a custom rehabilitation program to your patient’s device. Plus, the helpful reminder feature makes sure your patient never forgets to exercise.

8. BlueJay PT – Physical Therapy (Patient)

This app allows you to send exercise programs and updates to your patients’ devices.

It shows images of the exercises, along with the number of sets and repetitions, as well as how long they need to hold each position. In addition to tracking patients’ progress, it also allows them to chat with you if they have questions or concerns.

9. myRehab

While this app is advertised as a DIY rehabilitation app, it’s actually a great app to recommend to your patients.

Its library of exercises contains high-quality images and videos that can be used as references for home exercise programs. In addition, the app contains detailed information about symptoms, diagnosis, first-aid, and follow-up care.

10. PT Timer: Stretch & Exercise

With this app, you can share exercises with your patients by email, Facebook, or Twitter, as well as by pasting a text code.

To start a series of new exercises, you can input notes and images as a description. The app lets the patient know what exercises are due by showing a red badge, and it keeps time, counts repetitions and sets, and tracks progress. Once the patient is familiar with the exercises, he or she can simply listen to music and let the app provide verbal cues.

11. Rehab TherX

Design a personalized exercise program for your clients or patients on the go.

This app allows you to choose from over 300+ illustrated exercises that are categorized by body region and movement type. By using multiple filters, you will find the exercise you are looking for in seconds. Then, you just select the desired exercise and tailor the parameters (sets, repetitions, hold time, and frequency).

12. Wellpepper

This app provides fast and easy home exercise prescriptions with custom video, photos, and instructions, plus at-a-glance feedback and results.

It works in conjunction with the Wellpepper client engagement platform and serves to increase compliance with home exercise programs with motivating reminders, custom instructions, results tracking, and even a chat feature.

13. Physical Therapy for Kids

Created by a physical therapist and a yoga instructor, this app is a brilliant aid for your younger patients. It includes 56 exercises specifically developed for children ages three to 12.

All exercises show hand-drawn illustrations and animations with accompanying English narration and text.

Physical Therapy Apps for Staff and Students

14. Muscle Premium

If you are interested in learning about how the body moves, then this is the app for you! Hundreds of animated models show adduction, pronation, flexion, and much more–and you can interact with them in motion.

Want to know how to pronounce a ligament’s name? Want to know how a muscle is innervated? Access detailed definitions for all structures, including details on origins and insertions, muscle actions, blood supply, and innervation. Not to mention, there’s audio pronunciations and Latin names, plus over 400 quiz questions to test your knowledge.

15. CORE – Clinical ORthopedic Exam

CORE is your portable, expert reference tool for diagnosing musculoskeletal and orthopedic disorders.

The Clinical Orthopedic Exam offers you a robust database of over 400 clinical tests with descriptions on how to perform them, video demonstrations, diagnostic properties, and links to supporting medical references. For every test, data is presented regarding the sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, accuracy, and other relevant statistical tests based on primary literature references.

16. Goniometer

A Goniometer is a device that measures angles or allows an object to rotate to a specific position. One of its most common uses is measuring a patient’s range-of-motion (ROM) for a particular joint. This measurement is used to determine the extent of a patient’s joint injury and the expected speed of their recovery.

17. Stopwatch & Timer

We especially love this free app for its ability to customize and label timers for simultaneous use. Stopwatch & Timer turns your iPhone/iPod touch or iPad into a precise stopwatch that can run up to five times at once.

This can come in handy for anyone performing timed outcome exercises.

18. iOrtho+

iOrtho+® is the #1 mobile guide for orthopedic special tests and manual techniques. This app is developed from advanced, evidence-based knowledge and extensive clinical practice.

Touch one of the 8 major joints and spine areas on the skeleton to then drill down to the sub-categories (organized by tissues) of individual tests and techniques. In an instant, you will have high-quality images and full video with concise descriptions for study or clinical practice.

19. Medical Spanish

Medical Spanish is an inexpensive app that helps translate for Spanish speaking patients. The #1 selling Medical Spanish phrasebook is now better than ever with audio, search, conjugation, bookmarking, and unsurpassed functionality.

Feel good purchasing this app knowing profits from your purchase are reinvested into local free health clinics and medical relief efforts in Haiti.

20. ICD10 Consult 2020 Free

ICD10 Consult puts the most searchable, complete, current ICD10-CM resource at your fingertips.

With a flexible search feature that speaks your language, a deep understanding of the codes, instant ICD9 to ICD10 conversion and more, you’ll never have to flip through a 30-pound book or go hunting for a coding reference page again.

Find What Works For Your Patients

As a physical therapist, providing the best care for your patients includes a variety of techniques, including mobile apps. By using one or more of these physical therapy apps for patients, you can enhance their chances of a speedy and complete recovery.

Note: Recommendations within this article are intended as suggestions and not as medical advice. Please seek the advice of your healthcare provider before using any of these products. MAS is in no way affiliated with any of these products.