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Physical therapy career research paper
Educational and career goals for physical therapy
Career goals as a physical therapist
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Physical therapy is a type of treatment that individuals might need when health problems make it difficult to move around and do daily needs. This process of rehabilitation helps individuals move better, restores the physical function of the individual, and may even relieve pain (“Physical Therapy-Topic Overview”). The overall goal of physical therapy is to help improve a person’s ability to make everyday tasks and activities easier. A highly-educated, licensed health care professional who has the knowledge and ability to help patients reduce pain and improve mobility is identified as a physical therapist (Bellamy 1). Physical therapists are responsible for examining, diagnosing, creating and implementing a plan of care for their patient (Brightfind …show more content…
Once the therapist determines a diagnosis, they will work with the patient and compose a treatment plan that includes short and long-term functional goals. Exercise, traction, manual therapy, ultrasound, electrotherapy, vestibular training, motor learning and development are types of options that a therapist can use for their patient (Brightfind 1). Physical therapists do not only see patients in their private practices but also in hospitals, outpatient clinics, health agencies, schools, nursing homes, sports facilities and different work settings (Bellamy 1). Physical therapy has changed drastically over the centuries; it would be safe to assume that physical therapy has evolved since the first recorded account is from Hippocrates in 460 BC (“History of Physical Therapy”).
Through the evolution of physical therapy comes more approachable means in helping the body recover. Physical therapy has five sub-specialty practices: orthopedic, geriatric, neurological, cardiopulmonary and pediatric
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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 a main reason on 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 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. Not
During the interview, the Physical Therapist I conferred with was very thorough and straightforward in his responses to the questions that were given. I decided to interview another one of my mother’s fellow co-workers, Mr. Stephen Chan, considering his new experiences in the Physical Therapy field. I met with Mr. Stephen Chan at the Kaiser Permanente Outpatient Orthopedic Clinic that is located in Union City. The essential subject matters that we discussed consisted of his Major and Minor in college, the Residency Program that he takes part in, variations of attitudes, and advantages in the workforce.
Since a young age, I always felt inclined towards pursuing a career in the health care field; daydreaming about myself working at a clinic or hospital and making a positive impact on someone’s life. When I started college, I decided to major in Biology and explored the different career options the health field had to offer me by shadowing dietitians, nurses, physicians, and other healthcare workers to find my ideal job.
Imagine going up for the perfect lay-up, you make the shot but when you land you twist awkwardly and land on your knee. Laying on the ground, you feel the pain surging through your knee, the first line of defense is an athletic trainer, however if this accident happened when you fell on a wet kitchen floor you could expect much the same care from a physical therapist Athletic Trainers are the first to respond to sport related in game injuries, and provide care after injuries. In contrast physical therapist are not only there to fix accidental injuries, and treat chronic bone and joint they help with plans of care and rehabilitation for athletes and non-athletes after injuries. Physical Therapy play a important role in todays healthcare. Physical Therapy are experts of improving and storing motion , they contribute to their patients ‘ quality of life by keeping them healthy , fit , active and in medications . The first school of Modern Physical Therapy opened in Boston, MA , So Physical Therapy have been around for a long time. The Physical Therapy Association Organized by Mary McMillan. It later became the American Physical Therapy Association.World War ll brings changes to Physical Therapy was done at hospitals as patients recovered from injuries , surgeries or other ailments.
Physical therapy has been around since 460 BC (History of Physical Therapy). Yet, many people do not actually know what physical therapy is and how it benefits people with various injuries and surgeries. Many physical therapists personalize in different therapeutic practices including orthopedic, post-operative care, cardiovascular, neurologic, rehabilitation, or pulmonary rehab to specialize in the various needs of people. Physical therapy is more beneficial than chiropractors because it improves your mobility, prevents injuries, avoid surgery or recover more quickly from surgery, and the healing process is more natural and can help reduce pain.
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
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.
People who have been in accidents or having disabling conditions turn to physical therapists, commonly called PT’s, for help. Physical therapists are professional health care providers who are licensed in each and every state they practice. Physical therapy has a long history of returning people to their maximum level of physical function. Physical therapists use a variety of techniques to restore a function, improve mobility, relieve pain and prevent physical disabilities in their patients. However, being a physical therapist also has many downfalls such as dealing with patient’s insurance, motivating patients, and dealing with criticism in the workplace.
During workdays, physical therapists meet with their patients and discuss their goals. To achieve them, the physical therapists work with the patients and create plans that map out routines of exercise and stretches. Every time a patient returns to the office, the physical therapists examine and observe how they are progressing and determine how to help them even more (O*NET Online). They then begin to modify the old plans and find better ways for the patient to make a full recovery (O*NET Online). They also converse with the patient and their families to inform them of how to make the recovery go smoothly and quickly. The outcome of this treatment is that people who were injured or ill would recuperate and uphold a healthy life. Physical therapists use their knowledge of human biology to know how to challenge the patients with precaution and achieve a successful recovery (America’s Top 300 Jobs: A Complete Career Handbook). The physical therapists have to work with the patient to understand each other and their ideas. Also, physical therapists tend to talk with other physicians, occupational therapists, nurses, social workers, and physical therapists to find the best path to being healthy (Ameri...
As an occupation in the medical field, physical therapists have a very long strenuous list of duties. That list includes working with patients with limited use of their bodies due to injury or disability and improving mobility while reducing pain. Physical therapists provide care to people of all ages who have functional problems such as sprains, strains, fractures, arthritis, amputations, stroke, cerebral palsy, other injuries relating to sports, other injuries relating to work, other neurological disorders, and various other conditions. Some ways that physical therapist go about reducing pain levels of their patients is by using exercises, stretching, hands on therapy, and special equipment that is designed to help increase their mobility, prevent further injury, and smooth out the...
They help them improve their movement and if necessary, help with the pain. “They are an important part of rehabilitation and treatment of patients with chronic conditions or injuries.” They spend a lot of time on their feet, actively working with patients. The following are some of the things that physical therapist typically do: diagnose patients by watching them stand or walk, they set up a plan for their patients, use exercises to help relieve them from any pain, evaluate the patient's progress and they educate their families about the problem. The work of a physical therapist varies on the the type of injury they are working with. For example, a patient that lost mobility due to Parkinson’s disease needs different type of attention as to an athlete recovering from a sprained ankle. This field has five areas: Orthopedic Physical Therapists which mainly focus o the function of the musculoskeletal system as well as sport injuries. Geriatric Physical Therapist are therapist that focus on older adults and work with conditions such as arthritis, cancer, joint replacement, balance disorders, etc. Neurological Physical Therapist focus on neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury, spinal cord injury and strokes. Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapist help people that struggle with cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions like heart attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary
The medical field is expanding ever so rapidly in today’s society. In the field of Physical Therapy one needs to have the understanding of how the human body works and the injuries one body could sustain. I have chosen a career to help others to battle back from life-changing injuries or surgeries. I will take the first step of joining the medical field by obtaining a physical therapist associates degree. I will become a Physical Therapist Assistant.
Physical therapy is always full of surprises, from new advancements in technology to new and improved therapeutic techniques. Although there are fun games and new technology that physical therapists can do with patients, the main struggle for physical therapists is to motivate their patients to complete their therapy exercises both in the clinic and in the outside world. This problem is very frustrating because the doctors who work at the clinic constantly push patients to complete their therapy so that they can heal; however, when patients are stubborn and reluctant to their treatment, yet constantly complain of pain, doctors must spend more time convincing them to do the therapy rather than completing the therapy itself.
Physical therapists play an integral role in health care. The vision statement for the physical therapy career is: “Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience”. 1 Through my prior volunteer and work experiences, I discovered that physical therapy was the perfect career choice and vision for my future. As a current student and future physical therapist, I will play an important role for society and within the health care profession. The vision statement will serve as my reminder to always strive for more knowledge and feedback as a student, uphold pertinent values that will improve the practice of physical therapy, and to always provide quality care to all patients.
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.
Physical therapists are health care professionals that provide therapeutic services to their patients who have temporary or chronic physical conditions that were caused from injury or disease. Physical therapist also provided therapeutic services to patients after they have gone through surgery to help them gain back mobility and manage their pain. They can also work in preventive care by promoting healthy life styles and instructing individual patients or groups on preventing injury by using exercises that stretch and strengthen muscles. To help their patients try to recover they use massage techniques, wellness plans, and different types of equipment. When a physical therapist sees a patient for the very first time they must do an examination, evaluation, diagnosis, and then put together a physical intervention to start the rehabilitation process. They also work as a team with other health care professionals to help with their patients needs. Physical therapist can really make a difference in their patient’s lives by not only providing therapeutic services but also encouraging and motivating them so they can get better. The main goals of physical therapist are to help their patients retain or gain back lost physical mobility, eliminate or reduce pain, increase productivity and help promote a healthy life style so patients can have a better quality of life and become more independent.