To all the amazing Physical Therapists out there, I want to wish you a very very Happy Physical Therapy Month! I have been lucky enough to be a physical therapist for over 21 years. And though not every day is perfect, I feel grateful and blessed to be a part of this amazing profession. In today’s post, I want to take this opportunity to tell you all what a physical therapist does, what areas of specialty there are in the profession and what it takes to become a PT.
What is a Physical Therapist?
Physical therapists are movement experts. Our job is to evaluate and analyze the way people of all ages move. If you know a physical therapist you are well aware of their constant need to watch and analyze the way people around them are moving. My own children have learned the look I get when I’m analyzing someone out in public. It has been so ingrained into my way of thinking that I just can’t help myself.
When Physical Therapists analyze movement, they evaluate numerous body systems and types of movement to get a complete picture. Some of those areas might include:
- Range of Motion: Each joint within the human body has a normal range of movement it’s capable of creating. If you have been evaluated by a PT, they may have measured this range of motion using a goniometer. Joints that move too much or too little can cause our bodies to move in incorrect patterns.
- We also look at Muscle Strength. Are the muscles in your body generating enough force to move your body correctly.
- We look at Alignment. Do the joints within the body line up the way they were intended to both at rest and during movement.
- We look at your Neurologic System. And this topic can vary greatly depending on the age and diagnosis of the person involved. But, some big areas within the neurologic system are: reflexes, muscles tone, .
- We also look at a person’s Balance and Coordination. Is the neurologic system working well enough with the musculoskeletal system to keep a person balance and able to perform complex movement tasks like climbing stairs?
- We analyze a person’s Gait, or how they walk.
- In children we look at their Gross Motor Skill development. We want to know if the child is able to perform the skills considered average for their age.
By analyzing and evaluating these areas we are able to determine why a person might be in pain, why they can’t do a task like walking as well as they used to, why they feel unbalanced or unstable, or why their child isn’t walking yet.
Once we determine why the problem is occurring, then we create a plan for how to fix it. That plan is called a Plan of Care. The plan of care can include many different techniques. Some you may be familiar with like stretching, strengthening, and modalities like electrical stimulation and ultrasound. Others you may not be as familiar with like joint mobilization, gross motor skill facilitation, static and dynamic balance activities, and gait training. No matter what the technique, the end goal is always the same: Help the individual to be able to perform a skill they need to function in their daily life.
Areas of Specialty in Physical Therapy
I think when most people think of a physical therapist, they imagine the PT working with someone who had a knee replacement or ACL tear. Before I became a PT, that’s what I thought too. But, there are so many amazing specialties within the practice of physical therapy that you may have never heard about. So, I wanted to share a few of them with you today.
Orthopedic PTs help individuals with injuries such as ACL tears, rotator cuff tears, knee pain, and low back pain. Neurologic PTs work with individuals that have experienced Traumatic Brain Injuries and Strokes or have conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis. Geriatric PTs work with the elderly and the myriad of conditions they experience such as Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia and also assist in preventing falls. Cardiac/Pulmonary PTs work with individuals recovering from conditions such as a heart attack, heart surgery, etc. Oncology PTs work with individuals experiencing cancer and the resulting conditions that follow treatment. Pelvic Health PTs work with both women and men on conditions such as incontinence, pelvic pain, and pre/post partum issues in women. Pediatric PTs work with children from birth, including in the NICU through 21 years of age with a variety of conditions such as developmental delays, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, etc.
While all PTs graduate with the ability to treat a myriad of conditions, we chose to specialize in a specific area based on our passion. Therapists can become certified specialists through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. This certification requires a minimum number of hours working in a specific field of specialty and passing the certification exam which can take up to 7 hours to complete.
Interested in Becoming a Physical Therapist?
What does it take to become a PT? In recent years, school requirements have changed. I graduated from PT school in 1998. At the time, PTs obtained a Master’s Degree upon graduation. Since that time, PT schools have transitioned to a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree. Myself and many PTs who graduated with a Masters Degree have chosen to go back and obtain a Doctorate. Most PTs schools in the United States require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree prior to entrance. DPT programs last approximately 3 years. During that time, students spend about 80% of their time in classroom learning and 20% in clinical settings.
If you are interested in the field of Physical Therapy, but are not sure if that much schooling is for you, you might want to consider becoming a Physical Therapist Assistant. PTAs are an invaluable part of the PT profession. Physical Therapist Assistants graduate with an associates degree and work under the direct supervision of a Physical Therapist. Their job is to treat patients following the plan of care created by their supervising Physical Therapist.
If you would like more information on the field of physical therapy please check out the website for the American Physical Therapy Association. And, if you are interested in becoming a PT, reach out to your local hospital or physical therapy clinic and consider volunteering. There is nothing quite like first hand experience to truly understand what a profession is like.
Thanks again to all the amazing PTs and PTAs out there! Your hard work and dedication are noticed and appreciated. Happy Physical Therapy Month!
-Heather