Physical Therapist Overview

The Physical Therapist

PTs or physical therapists are licensed health care practitioners treating patients of all ages. They are the health professionals who aid patients alleviate their pain and restore their ability to move muscles. They are important as they lessen the need of surgery and medication use.

PTs examine each patient and from the findings they will develop the treatment plan using treatment techniques to allow patient to move freely, experience less pain, restore normal muscle function and lessen the likelihood of further disability. Moreover, they develop fitness and wellness programs and work side by side with patients to prevent function loss and create a healthier lifestyle.

Common patients handled by all physical therapists are those with problems in proper functioning like those with injuries in the back and neck, fractures, strains, sprains, arthritis, amputations, burns, history of stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and spina bifida. They evaluate and diagnose dysfunctions in movement and likewise use therapeutic interventions to treat the patient. Interventions often used are exercise, manual therapy, functional training, use of assistive device and electrotherapeutic modalities.

Physical therapists work hand and hand with other health care practitioner like the physicians, nurses, social workers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and audiologists.

Physical therapists do not only work in a hospital but they can also perform their responsibilities in home health agencies, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, schools, sports facilities, fitness centers and they can also do private practice. For full-time physical therapists typically work 40 hours a week and most of them work at night and on weekends to coincide with the patient’s availability. At present, about 27% of working physical therapists are part-time practitioners.

To become a physical therapy, you must study and graduate a post-baccalaureate physical therapy degree from accredited programs. CAPTE or the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education is the accrediting agency of American Physical Therapy Association that accredits physical therapist academic programs. There are 212 accredited education programs in 199 colleges and universities of US to choose from if you want to be a physical therapist. Advance educations such as master’s and doctorate degrees are also available for career growth.

To become eligible for any physical therapists job position, you must pass the licensure examinations such as the National Physical Therapy Examination and the jurisprudence exam given by the state. However, eligibility requirements differ in every state.

At present, there are more than 175,000 licensed PTs in the entire US. The average annual salary of most PTs is $80,000 but that would vary with the years of experience, position held, education level and practice setting. Likewise, salary also varies between states.

Statistics from US Bureau of Labor showed that by 2018, occupations for PTs will increase 30% from the employment record of 2008. Today, the unemployment rate of PTs is only 0.2%, hence APTA or the American Physical Therapy Association claims that PTs are having the best employment conditions ever since the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 was enacted.