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Career Details : Physical Therapists

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Description

Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and decrease or prevent deformity of patients suffering from disease or injury.

Experience

A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Education

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Tasks

  • Administers manual exercises to improve and maintain function.
  • Administers massage, applying knowledge of massage techniques and body physiology.
  • Instructs, motivates, and assists patient to perform various physical activities and use supportive devices, such as crutches, canes, and prostheses.
  • Administers traction to relieve pain, using traction equipment.
  • Records treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enters information into computer.
  • Confers with medical practitioners to obtain additional information, suggest revisions in treatment, and integrate physical therapy into patient's care.
  • Evaluates, fits, and adjusts prosthetic and orthotic devices and recommends modification to orthotist.
  • Instructs patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
  • Plans and prepares written treatment program based on evaluation of patient data.
  • Reviews physician's referral and patient's condition and medical records to determine physical therapy treatment required.
  • Tests and measures patient's strength, motor development, sensory perception, functional capacity, and respiratory and circulatory efficiency and records data.
  • Evaluates effects of treatment at various stages and adjusts treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
  • Administers treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet and infrared lamps, and ultrasound machines.

    Related Careers

    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Job-Required Social Interaction
    • Consequence of Error
    • Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
    • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
    • Indoors

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