Health Careers: Physical Therapy Aids, Assistants and Therapists

Health careers are in demand, and the right training can provide you with many opportunities. Before you make the decision to get training or while you are in a health school, it is possible to gain some initial experience within your field with just high school diploma. One such field is physical therapy.

Three levels of physical therapy positions exist: Physical therapy aids, physical therapy assistants, and physical therapists. Following is information about each with training and certification requirements:

Physical Therapy Aids

Physical therapy aids are not licensed and cannot perform clinical tasks. However, they help physical therapists and physical therapy assistants immensely by keeping treatment areas clean, preparing for each patient's treatment, and transporting patients.

The level of education required to be a physical therapy aid is a high school diploma.

Physical Therapy Assistants

Physical therapists work under the supervision of a physical therapist to provide exercise instruction, electrical stimulation, traction, ultrasound, massage, and other similar clinical tasks.

In most states, physical therapy assistants are required to hold an associate degree and the required licensure, registration, or certification. This training takes approximately two years.

Additionally, proper certification for physical therapy assistant most likely includes CPR and other first aid training.

Physical Therapists

The physical therapists job is to diagnose movement problems treat patients accordingly. Treatment can include exercise, functional training for daily life activities, manual therapy techniques, instructions on using assistive and adaptive devices and equipment, and/or therapeutic modalities. Physical therapists often work along with a variety of professionals as well, including doctors, dentists, social workers, nurses, teachers, social workers, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and audiologists.

Physical therapists are required to obtain a post-baccalaureate degree and have a passing score on national and state examinations.

Check for the need for physical therapy jobs and training programs in your area so you can begin following your goals today.