A physical therapist career is simply not for the faint hearted. While starting off in the career, one should be ready to deal with disabling health conditions such as cerebral palsy, fractures, back pains, and arthritis among others. The career of a physical therapist revolves around restoring or improving the patients mobility. The therapies are also done to relieve pain, while some are offered to limit or prevent lasting physical disabilities from occurring. Physical therapists therefore offer services that maintain, promote or restore the overall health and fitness to an individual.
The physical therapist career can either be held in fully-pledged hospitals or healthcare centers or as individual practice. Before getting a job or establishing a practice however, one needs to have a masters or doctorate degree in an education program that trains them to become physical therapists. Subjects covered in the course work include physics, biology and chemistry. One also needs to take specialized courses in subjects such as neuro-anatomy, biomechanics, human growth & development, therapeutic procedures and manifestation of diseases.
On graduation, a person wishing to take up a physical therapist career needs to sit for the state licensing exams in order to obtain a practicing license. To retain the practicing license however, some states require physical therapists to take frequent refresher trainings either in form of training workshops or as continued educative classes.
On gaining employment or setting up private practice, the physical therapist career revolves around examining a patient and taking their medical history, testing and measuring a patients movements, strength, coordination, muscle performance, posture, motor functions, respirations and balance. Based on these tests, the physical therapist is then able to determine whether the patient can regain independent movements, or if not, he determines the type of assistance and therapy to engage the patient in. It is also the responsibility of the physical therapist to develop a treatment plan for the patient. This includes formulating a therapy strategy based on its purpose and the anticipated benefits or outcomes.
Some of the general attributes that a physical therapist may need in order to prosper in his or her career include good communication skills, ability to work under pressure, ability to engage even the most uncooperative patients and a general love for humankind. Patience is also a virtue that every physical therapist must possess because some patients may not have the physical determination and emotional strength needed to embrace some of the therapeutic activities they engage in. Overall however, the physical therapist career gives therapists the satisfaction that at least they helped make someone elses life better.
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