Physical Therapist – Who Are They?

A physical therapist might be a wonderful person, but it is more than clear why nobody wants to be his/her patient, because that would mean that s/he has problems with movement and other activities connected with the motor abilities of his/her body. So, the job of the physical therapist is to detect the problem and try to cure it afterwards. They are skilled professionals, dedicated to the wellbeing of their patients, as all of the people that work in the field of health care are. Physical therapist, also called physiotherapist or physio, or PT is assisted by, well obviously, physical therapist assistant (PTA).

The job of a physical therapist

Physical Therapist
by roger_mommaerts under CC BY-SA  with MNSplus.me

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In order to be able to decide what’s wrong with the patient, the physical therapist would examine him/her and study it’s medical past carefully. S/he might also conduct an electro diagnostic exam. The physical therapist would than incorporate the facts s/he into a diagnosis. The next step is, of course, treating the condition. This would usually involve workout, medicaments and other procedures, if necessary. A physical therapist might also work on the prevention of inability, if the patient feels his/her faculties are threatened by any factor, such as old age, wound, illness or other factors. Physical therapy can be carried out in various locations and situations, from hospitals, study centers, nursing homes, factories to the comfort of the patient’s own home. The modern physical therapist as a profession emerged in the end of the 19th century, but it gained its popularity in the second half of the 20th. The first research in the area was conducted in the 1921st.

Education of a physical therapist

The fact that the education requirements for becoming a physical therapist are very different from country to country is striking. While somewhere, a physical therapist is as educated as a physician, elsewhere s/he has very little formal education. This situation is identified by the World Confederation of Physical Therapy. However, they suggest that a physical therapist should be at least university educated and has completed a 8 semester program, bearing in mind the difference of the programs and their length in various countries of the world. A physical therapist study program should include the theoretical aspect, learning from different case histories and active practice. The skills a physical therapist acquires during the course usually include: being able to find out what the patient needs after the screening process, being able to conduct an examination of the patient, being able to make estimates and a medical verdict on his/her condition, being able to diagnose and make a proficient plan for the further treatment of the patient, being able to carry out the intervention which is in a physical therapist’s domain, provide the patient with suggestions and advises on how to stay healthy.

Fields in which a physical therapist can specialize

There are lots of areas in which a physical therapist might help a patient and that’s the main reason why some physical therapists specialize in a particular field. For example, a physical therapist might be specialized in dealing with elderly people, i.e. in geriatrics. A physical therapist can also specialize in dealing with kids and the problems concerned children usually experience in the process of growing. Other physical therapists deal only with athletes and their problems. There are few other areas such as: neurological, pulmonary, and orthopedic.

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