Your focus, your goal, is to give their life back. You are all of these— their healer, torturer, friend, enemy, rescuer— and most of all, you are their hope. Because the human body is the home of the human spirit.

No matter how difficult an ordeal it will be, no matter how long it will take, you are determined. You will return your patient to normal daily activities as quickly as possible, to their live at work and at home, functional, with the least pain necessary.

You emphasize patient education to prevent recurrence of the current problem, and you work hard to avoid associated disorders to which they may be susceptible.

When disease or accident prevent a full recovery, you teach your patient the skills they so desperately need, to manage crippling pain and devastating limitations.

You fully appreciate that the quality of your patients’ lives depends on your commitment and expertise.

Every day, you work tirelessly, patiently, to resolve pain, limited motion, gait problems, weakness, loss of function, and to prevent recurrence.

You are a physical therapist.

Physical therapists provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease.

They restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health. Their patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy.

Therapists examine patients’ medical histories and then test and measure the patients’ strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function. Next, physical therapists develop plans describing a treatment strategy and its anticipated outcome.

Treatment often includes exercise, especially for patients who have been immobilized or who lack flexibility, strength, or endurance. Physical therapists encourage patients to use their muscles to increase their flexibility and range of motion. More advanced exercises focus on improving strength, balance, coordination, and endurance. The goal is to improve how an individual functions at work and at home.

Physical therapists also use electrical stimulation, hot packs or cold compresses, and ultrasound to relieve pain and reduce swelling. They may use traction or deep-tissue massage to relieve pain and improve circulation and flexibility. Therapists also teach patients to use assistive and adaptive devices, such as crutches, prostheses, and wheelchairs. They also may show patients how to do exercises at home to expedite their recovery.

Physical therapists often consult and practice with a variety of other professionals, such as physicians, dentists, nurses, educators, social workers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists.

Some physical therapists treat a wide range of ailments; others specialize in areas such as pediatrics, geriatrics, orthopedics, sports medicine, neurology, and cardiopulmonary physical therapy.

Physical therapists practice in hospitals, clinics, and private offices that have specially equipped facilities. They also treat patients in hospital rooms, homes, or schools. These jobs can be physically demanding because therapists often have to stoop, kneel, crouch, lift, and stand for long periods. In addition, physical therapists move heavy equipment and lift patients or help them turn, stand, or walk.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, there were 209 accredited physical therapist education programs in 2007.

Of the accredited programs, 43 offered master’s degrees and 166 offered doctoral degrees.

Only master’s degree and doctoral degree programs are accredited, in accordance with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

In the future, a doctoral degree might be the required entry-level degree.

Master’s degree programs typically last 2 years, and doctoral degree programs last 3 years.

Physical therapist education programs start with basic science courses such as biology, chemistry, and physics and then introduce specialized courses, including biomechanics, neuroanatomy, human growth and development, manifestations of disease, examination techniques, and therapeutic procedures. Besides getting classroom and laboratory instruction, students receive supervised clinical experience.

Among the undergraduate courses that are useful when one applies to a physical therapist education program are anatomy, biology, chemistry, social science, mathematics, and physics. Before granting admission, many programs require volunteer experience in the physical therapy department of a hospital or clinic.

For high school students, volunteering with the school athletic trainer is a good way to gain experience.

All States regulate the practice of physical therapy. Typical licensure requirements are graduation from an accredited physical therapist education program and passing scores on national and State licensure exams. Specific eligibility requirements for licensure vary by State.

Physical therapists are expected to continue their professional development by participating in continuing education courses and workshops. In fact, a number of States require continuing education as a condition of maintaining licensure.

In the USA, the BLS predicts that employment of physical therapists is expected to grow 27 percent to year 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations. The impact of proposed Federal legislation imposing limits on reimbursement for therapy services may adversely affect the short-term job outlook for physical therapists. However, the long-run demand for physical therapists should continue to rise as new treatments and techniques expand the scope of physical therapy practices. Moreover, demand will be spurred by the increasing numbers of individuals with disabilities or limited function.

The increasing elderly population will drive growth in the demand for physical therapy services. The elderly population is particularly vulnerable to chronic and debilitating conditions that require therapeutic services.

Also, the baby-boom generation is entering the prime age for heart attacks and strokes, increasing the demand for cardiac and physical rehabilitation.

And increasing numbers of children will need physical therapy as technological advances save the lives of a larger proportion of newborns with severe birth defects.

Future medical developments also should permit a higher percentage of trauma victims to survive, creating additional demand for rehabilitative care. In addition, growth may result from advances in medical technology that could permit the treatment of an increasing number of disabling conditions that were untreatable in the past.

Widespread interest in health promotion also should increase demand for physical therapy services. A growing number of employers are using physical therapists to evaluate worksites, develop exercise programs, and teach safe work habits to employees.

Median annual earnings of U.S. physical therapists were $66,200 in May 2006.
The middle 50 percent earned between $55,030 and $78,080.
The lowest 10 percent earned less than $46,510,
and the highest 10 percent earned more than $94,810.

So, your degree in this field will expose you to employment is expected to increase much faster than average. Your job opportunities should be very stable and very financially rewarding, particularly in acute hospital, rehabilitation, and orthopedic settings.

You will need a master’s degree from an accredited physical therapy program— the minimum level of education for individuals pursuing a career as a physical therapist.
And a State license, requiring passing scores on national and State examinations.

If you feel you have strong interpersonal skills, and a desire to educate the disabled, and empower them to fuller lives… if you care deeply about people, physical therapy may be the most rewarding field you can earn your degree for.

If you are patient, caring— able to work tirelessly during physical therapy treatments, and communicate with patients’ families— the salary and the gratitude you will receive will always be in abundance. The field is growing.

If you wish to become a physical therapist, your degree will fully empower your natural compassionate nature.

Your degree will launch you into a life of fulfilling your desire to help those desperately in need.

Additional career information and a list of accredited educational programs in physical therapy are available from:

• American Physical Therapy Association, 1111 North Fairfax St, Alexandria, VA 22314-1488. http://www.apta.org

Licensure requirements, including education requirements, vary by State. Information on these requirements may be obtained from:

• Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, 124 West St South, Alexandria, VA 22314. http://www.fsbpt.org