Over the past summer, I had the privilege of meeting some of the best physical therapists due to my hip injury. They were charismatic, funny, helpful, and I loved being around them. During my senior year of high school, I was not interested in pursuing physical therapy. The physical therapists I met definitely changed my mind, and I am heavily leaning towards practicing physical therapy. In the field of physical therapy, there are many types of sub-specialty practices that I could pursue. I believe orthopedic physical therapy is what I want to specialize in due to what I have experienced in my life. Physical therapy is a type of treatment that individuals might need when health problems make it difficult to move around and do daily needs. …show more content…
Physical therapy has five sub-specialty practices: orthopedic, geriatric, neurological, cardiopulmonary and pediatric (“Welcome”). A geriatric physical therapist studies and focuses on the unique movement needs of older adults. These therapists usually give out treatments for conditions such as arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, joint replacement and balance disorders (“Welcome”). Geriatric physical therapy is used to help restore mobility, help with physical limitations and reduce pain for older adults. The second sub-specialty practice is neurological physical therapy, which obviously focuses on neurological conditions and impairments. Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease and strokes are just a couple of the neurological conditions that licensed neurological physical therapists work with. There are not many ways to physically improve nerves, but these therapists try their best for their patients. They concentrate on teaching their patients to adapt to visual, balance, mobility, and muscle loss impairments for daily living (“Welcome”). The third sub-specialty practice is cardiopulmonary therapy. This physical therapy practice focuses on helping people who have suffered from cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions; it is also used to help increase endurance and improve functional independence. Pediatric physical therapy is …show more content…
All throughout high school, I was a multi-sport athlete, participating in soccer, basketball, golf and cross country. Being an athlete has definitely impacted my life; when I graduate college I want to continue to be involved in the athletic environment and share my knowledge and experience with younger athletes. This is the main reason for why I want to pursue orthopedic physical therapy. Orthopedic physical therapists are licensed professionals who possess the special certification in orthopedic physical therapy. They focus mainly on restoring function to the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic physical therapists conduct examinations on patients who have either suffered injuries or have innate conditions or diseases that can cause pain and cause the inability for some physical functions (“How to become”). Once they examine the patient and have a feel for what type of rehabilitation he or she should go through, they create a plan for their rehabilitation. During the period of the patient’s treatment, the physical therapists, at various times, keep track and take notes of the patient’s progress. In order for them to know whether or not the patient should continue or if they should revise the treatment plan, they must take notes. It is going to take effort, responsibility, and motivation in order for me to become an orthopedic physical therapist. I must attain a bachelor’s degree,
Now that you have a better understanding about Athletic training, I will explain about physical therapy and why I would like have as a lifetime career. In an article I read, the author Sue Klappa said that, “PT’s reach into our communities through engagement and social responsibility. It compels us to bring hope and love to others. It urges us to learn to see things differently. It holds the promise of defining moments, as we take the time to see things in a new light” (Klappa 2). Klappa is a physical therapist that traveled the world to help others and when she went to different countries. She learned how important physical therapist are in the medical field and how she can get others attention. Starting a career path in physical therapy can
Treatment can be very boring for some people especially when it comes to physical therapy. Physical therapy is defined as “Process of doing a group of repetitive exercises in order to regain the range of motion
Entering my first year of college I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to do. I still didn’t choose a major let alone a career. I was stuck in between wanting to make enough money that my family would be taken care of financially and choosing a career that I wouldn’t mind going in to work every day. The one thing that I was certain of was that I wanted to be able to help people in whatever I chose to do. After careful consideration and exploring the options available to me, I have come to the conclusion that I want to have a career in physical therapy. Physical therapy is the treatment of disease, injury or deformity through physical methods rather than through drugs or surgery.
Educational requirements, opportunities and general demands of the career are only a few of the areas to inquire about in the field of physical therapy. This career is diverse in nature, in that a therapist sees many different ailments ranging from a sprained ankle to rehabilitating someone who has had an amputation. There is a fair degree of difficulty involved in becoming a physical therapist, and due to the high competition involved in entering the various Master’s degree programs as stated earlier, high grades and a positive attitude are very important for success in an interested student’s career. Volunteering is a great way to find out if a person would or would not be interested in entering the practice of physical therapy. This is an exciting career with many opportunities for advancement. This career is also a nice choice for those who become bored with the tedious monotony of a daily routine, since each day is a new experience.
like in any profession, physical therapy requires extensive schooling and requires many hours of training; therefore, many individuals will become uninterested with the profession. Physical therapy has become such a popular profession that
The career I have chose is Physical Therapy(PT). Physical Therapist do many different things, but their main function is to help impaired or physically disabled people enhance their movement and handle their pain. Physical Therapist are a main source in the rehabilitation, medical care and prevention of people with long lasting illnesses or damage. The reason I chose this career is because I love helping people and enjoy seeing people be motivated and succeed at their task. To help someone gain full strength in their limbs or maybe even learn how to walk again is my lifelong dream. It is important to understand the education or training requirements, skills or talents needed, salary and benefits offered, and the duties for a particular career
I chose Exercise Science as my major because I want to pursue a career in Physical Therapy. I have been through physical therapy throughout my entire life and it has always interested me and caught my attention. Most recently, was in 2015 after I needed surgery on my knee to repair a torn meniscus. The surgeon had to completely repair my meniscus because it was not just torn it had twisted and folded over on itself. I had to go through longer physical therapy than normal because this was not just a simple tear in the tissue. I will be getting another surgery on my knee in the near future so I will need to go through more physical therapy after that. It is better to have someone that has had those experiences and has seen things from the patient’s point of view so that they know how their patient is feeling going through therapy. I know I would rather have a physical therapist that knows what receiving the treatment is like and has gone through physical therapy before, rather than someone who has never received therapy and does not necessarily know what being a patient going through physical therapy feels like. I originally thought about majoring in athletic training to stay within more of an athletics type of atmosphere but exercise science will give me
My journey to pursue an education in physical therapy actually originates from my early childhood. I endured a very impoverished upbringing and my family’s socioeconomic status was below the poverty line. At a very young age, money became the central issue of my life. I found myself worrying about mortgages, health bills, and grocery money. As I grew older, I vowed to myself that I would not endure my family’s financial burdens into my adulthood. I knew the best way to accomplish this was by obtaining a college degree and having a professional career. However, I was unsure what career I wanted to pursue. I experimented with many different career ideas, but during my sophomore, I discovered my passion and skill for physical medicine. For my
With the help of my family and employers, I resign from my job and enrolled into the University of Houston-Clear Lake. They motivated me into taking the first step into my professional career in where I achieved my bachelor’s degree in Fitness & Human Performance. It was there that I was given the opportunity to do my internship at Proactive Physical Therapy (PPT) and see hands on what to expect in a PT setting. To be a part of someone’s rehabilitation journey, from the moment you first see them at their initial evaluation, to when they are graduating and being discharged, is an incredible feeling to be a part of. A Physical Therapist often encounter patients that are at the lowest point in their life in which they would have to teach, coach, listen and motivate the patient to rehabilitate them. When TW came in for PT, he was down on himself because he had
From a young age I was interested in the medical field. As I became more exposed to the various options, I decided physical therapy was the right career for me. My experience has proved the field to be interesting and fun. I enjoy working with people and the versatility of therapy. There are many areas to specialize in and I look forward to learning which one is right for me. At the moment I am interested in pediatric acute care but I am also interested in sports and orthopedics. As I continue my studies, I look forward to learning about the different fields in which physical therapy will take me. My future views may change which physical therapy field I wish to pursue, but right now I look forward to learning as much as I can about physical therapy and helping others.
Therefore, many occupational therapists (Occupational Therapists) work with seniors after they have been affected by illness/disease, injury or cognitive deficits. As both the prevalence of neurodegenerative disease and the number of elderly individuals increases I firmly believe that Occupational Therapists hold one of the most important roles within the health care system - to improve the quality of life for those affected individuals. Neurological damage cannot be reversed; therefore therapy is the best way to compensate for the changes that are observed due to the disease. Occupational Therapists can provide patients with effective interventions involving new movement techniques and strategies to make daily activities easier.
Beginning this project, our group came to the same conclusion: physical therapy is definitely the direction we want to study. While other possibilities were thrown around, we quickly decided that as a group we were most interested by a career in physical therapy because it is a goal we are all striving to attain (with the exception of Ryon, who recently switched his major to Criminal Justice). Our logic was to pick a career that appealed to the most of us, and physical therapy was the career that won out. At some point in time, each of us has either seen or experienced a physical therapist at work, and we admire what they do. Our goal is to someday be able to help people in only a way that physical therapists can, and that is why we collectively decided to choose this career path.
Physical therapy can offer relief and improve the mobility of patients suffering from a variety of conditions, ranging from back and neck pain to broken bones, carpal tunnel syndrome, and developmental disabilities. Whereas medications merely mask the pain, physical therapists get to the root of the issue, increasing flexibility and strength over time while working to enhance quality of life. Below, the experts at O’Fallon Pain Relief Associates detail several key benefits of physical therapy.
Physical therapy is a fun and exciting healthcare profession that helps people. It is all about helping other people who have problems with their body, muscles, joints and other parts of their body. Patients includes accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy. Physical therapy will perform an evaluation of your problem or difficulty. They evaluate your problem by performing tests and measures to assess the problem. These tests includes muscle strength, joint motion, sensory and neurological, coordination, balance, observation, palpation, flexibility, postural screening, movement analysis, and special tests are designed for a particular problem. Next, they develop a treatment plan and goals and then manage the appropriate treatment to aid in recovery of a problem or dysfunction. Physical therapists are able to treat their patients by using many different treatments depending on the type of injury. Some of the treatments are electrical stimulation, hot and cold packs, infrared and ultrasound to reduce swelling or relieve pain. These treatments are used to help decrease pain and increase movement and function. Therapeutic exercises instructions will help restore strength, movement, balance, or skill as a guide towards full functional recovery. Physical therapy provides "hands on techniques" like massage or joint mobilizations skills to restore joint motion or increase soft tissue flexibility. They will focus on basic skills such as getting out of bed, walking safely with crutches or a walker, moving specific joints and muscles of the body. Physical therapists treatment includes patient education to teach them how to deal with a current problem and how to prevent the problem in the future. Such documentation is used to track the patient's progress, and identify areas requiring more or less attention. They encourage patients to use their own muscles. Their main goal is to improve how an individual functions at work and home.
Since I now have researched all of the important facts about what it takes to become a physical therapist, the pro’s and con’s, information about current trends like the new health care laws, and learned about where the field is at today, I can now make a more informed decision about this career choice. At this time in my life I’m not prepared to take on the requirements that are needed to get into the DPT program. I am still interested in the field and since I can get a bachelors degree in any field to start the requirements for the program I may still consider this occupation as a career choice and pursue this more in the future. I do enjoy helping people and working hands and have always been interested in the health care field so this will be a great option that I’m now more informed about. 13