Physical Therapist Job Description

Physical Therapists are healers of disabilities as well. They may not be surgeons but they can help improve and restore normal functioning of affected body areas agonizing impaired and disabled individuals. They may not use injections or any of the medical apparatuses surgical operations are used to, but they have their own alternative means of treating ailments in a way that it doesn’t give too much burden and discomfort to patients. With the use of physical medicine such as exercise and therapeutic methods like the use of electric currents, heat and massage, impairments and other problems have been gradually reducing. In most cases, persons that do have complications on their body’s motor functions (relating to neurons and nervous system as a whole) indulge in this method of healing.

Duties of Physical Therapists:

• Evaluating patients disabilities
• Application of heat and water treatments
• Relieving patients enduring pain after serious injuries
• Recommend the most suitable equipments for patients (wheelchairs and crutches for example)
• Provide optimum amount of care and orients their patients of the methods for immediate recovery ( exercise is an example )
• Assessing patients to determine which part of their bodies to be treated
• Jotting down responses of patients to a particular treatment applied
• Be aware of their patients progress and recommending other ways for faster recovery of patients( may change patients’ therapy plan if needed )

Educational/Training Requirements:

• Individuals that chose the career of being a physical therapist must start studying complex science and math course subjects. These courses may be useful when dealing with patients that complicated disabilities.
• To start ones career as a physical therapist, one must obtain a license and must pass certification examinations.
• For fast employment, completing a masters degree would be helpful

Other Skills Needed:

• must have strong interpersonal skills ( needed when orienting patients about their modes of treatment)
• must be having strong interaction with patients and their families as well together with their desire for the immediate recovery of the patient

Methods/Treatments that Physical therapists apply or use:

• Massage
• Cold and hot compress
• Ultrasonography (used to record and take a look on the deeper anatomy)
• Electric currents
• Exercise

Working Conditions:

Mostly physical therapists can be seen on hospitals and clinics that have complete set of equipments used for the treatment and healing processes. Their working hours would vary depending on the patient’s recovery, some are held by appointments that may exceed the normal working hour for physical therapists. Normally, they are working for about 40 hours per week.

Compensations/Benefits Received:

Average earnings for physical therapists would be $ 60 180 annually.

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