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A therapy or medical treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. Both words, treatment and therapy, are often abbreviated Tx, or Tx.
| Therapy | |
|---|---|
 Children undergoing physical therapy (polio) | |
| MeSH | D013812 |
As a rule, each therapy has indications and contraindications. There are many different types of therapy. Not all therapies are effective. Many therapies can produce unwanted adverse effects.
Treatment and therapy are often synonymous, especially in the usage of health professionals. However, in the context of mental health, the term therapy may refer specifically to psychotherapy.
A therapist is a person who offers any modality of therapy. Therapist refers to trained professionals engaged in providing services any kind of treatment or rehabilitation.
English
Etymology
From New Latin therapīa, from Ancient Greek θεραπεία (therapeía, “service, medical treatment”), from θεραπεύω (therapeúō, “to serve, treat medically”) + -ία (-ía, suffix for forming abstract nouns).
Pronunciation
- enPR: thĕrʹə-pē, IPA(key): /ˈθɛɹ.ə.pi/
- (Southern US and AAVE sometimes alternatively, nonstandard) IPA(key): /ˈθɜɹ.ə.pi/
Noun
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