What Does a Person in Physical Therapy Do?

Unlike any other industry, health careers continue to take the lead in growth and demand in most geographic locations. With the right training, you can gain the required skills needed to pursue exciting career opportunities in this industry. This includes the field of physical therapy. Know what a physical therapy job entails? 

Those in the field of physical therapy work with patients who have limited mobility due to conditions, illnesses or injuries. These problems limit the patient's ability to perform daily functions. It is the job of the physical therapist to assess and treat each patient in an effort to restore movement and function, reduce pain, and/or prevent disability.

This may confuse some people who may think that physical therapists work mostly with people who have experienced a sports injury or other sprain, strain or fracture that needs rehabilitation. Millions of Americans, however, are disabled due to debilitating diseases/conditions such as or horrific accidents resulting in:

• Head, neck and back injuries


• Arthritis


• Burns, amputations


• Stroke


• Multiple sclerosis


• Cerebral palsy


• Spina bifida

Thus, a person choosing to go into the field of physical therapy has to be able to emotionally cope with seeing these types of conditions in people of all ages, including children, and have an overwhelming desire to help.

In order to be able to perform the job, those in physical therapy must be able to stoop, kneel, crouch, lift, and stand for long periods. Also, those in the field may be required to move heavy equipment, lift patients, or help patients turn, stand, or walk.

Meanwhile, to treat mobility problems, physical therapy care and services are provided by physical therapists and possibly a team that can consist of physical therapist assistant(s) and/or aid(s). The physical therapists evaluate and diagnose the movement dysfunction and plan the interventions to treat patients. These can include:

• Exercises


• Functional training


• Manipulation


• Manual therapy


• Assistive and adaptive devices and equipment


• Electrotherapeutic modalities


• And more

Physical therapy assistants may help the physical therapist when it comes to performing these clinical interventions but will work under the supervision of the physical therapists. Physical therapy aids may also be part of the physical therapy team but will not perform clinical tasks. Rather aids will most likely greet patients, transport or lead patients to the treatment area, perform clerical tasks, and keep the treatment area clean.

People in the physical therapy field can be found working in hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools and private offices that have specially equipped facilities. Often physical therapists will consult and/or practice with other professionals, such as physicians, dentists, nurses, educators, social workers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists.

If it sounds like you should be prepared to work hard should you choose this career path, this is true. So the rewards must be well worth the hard work.