Do you think that becoming a physical therapist sounds like an ideal career path for you? Have you narrowed down the numerous choices that exist within the broad medical field and you keep coming back to this one? Are you somewhat ready to begin working on this career path by attending college, but you are a little scared because you really don’t know that much about this occupation? That is actually perfectly understandable! Keep reading below so that you can become well informed about what this profession may be like for you, so that you will be able to make the most informed decision possible about your future.
In your capacity of a physical therapist (sometimes referred to as a PT) you will be expected to help patients to improve their ability to move or to better manage their pain that has evolved as a result of an illness or an injury. It is important to understand that it is common for physical therapists to work in conjunction with other therapy professionals, which will require you to be able to effectively communicate regarding your work efforts and to collaborate your recommended tasks with the other therapy type tasks that a patient may be required to perform. Although you can expect to work with a wide variety of patients who are dealing with any number of issues, the majority of your patients will be seeking your help due to chronic injuries or conditions that they are dealing with. If you are serious about your physical therapist education then be sure to pick the right school.
When a patient comes to you it will be your responsibility to assess their condition by watching them perform basic daily functions, such as walking, standing, sitting, or stretching. Watching your patient naturally react to these everyday occurrences will help you be better able to develop a plan of action, to set appropriate goals and milestones, and to work with them to improve their level of functioning. Once the assessment and planning phase of your work is complete you will begin working with your patient.
This is likely to involve stretching maneuvers, a wide variety of exercises and movements, and hands-on therapy; all which is intended to help your patient improve their ability to move and get around. It is important to note that in order to effectively carry out your plan of action you will also find it necessary to incorporate the use of different equipment. It will also be important that you can discuss your plan of action with your patients and their family members, so that they may continue the work even when they are not in an active therapy session. Keep in mind, your plan of action will hopefully need adjusting along the way to reflect your patient’s advancements and improvements and it will be important for you to keep your patients and their family up to date on how these improvements change the entire scope of the plan. In relation to this, you will also be required to assess your patients periodically and to make notations regarding their progress in their medical charts.