Physical Therapist
A physical therapist is someone who is trained in helping those who have limited physical functioning in one or more areas. The therapist's goal is to either restore normal functioning after an injury or illness, or to maintain functioning for as long as possible. Not only does the physical therapist help maintain or improve movement, but they also help with reducing pain in many cases and prevent reinjury.
What does a physical therapist do?
The actual job duties of a physical therapist will vary according to what type of setting they work in. In all cases, the therapist will both diagnose and treat cases of dysfunction in movement or mobility. They are trained to work with patients of all ages, although a physical therapist will often specialize in a certain age group such as pediatrics or geriatrics.
The physical therapist will first assess and diagnose the type and level of motor dysfunction. Along with that assessment, they will also take into account the level of pain and discomfort the patient may be in so that they can develop a plan to reduce that pain as much as possible.
Once the assessment is complete, the physical therapist is responsible for developing a plan of treatment that will have one or more of the following goals:
- Restoration of mobility
- Pain reduction
- Preventing disability
The treatment plan can involve therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, functional training, and the recommendation and training of using assistive or adaptive devices such as walkers.
A physical therapist is often called in after an injury in order to prevent further damage and to restore full functioning in as short a time as possible. This is particularly true of workplace medicine and sports medicine, when the risk of further damage and/or disability are greater.
A physical therapist job is quite often physically demanding so that is something to keep in mind. Lifting, supporting another's weight, frequent bending—these are all going to be a part of the daily tasks that a physical therapist must carry out while working with patients. Obviously, a therapist will need to not only have the education and training needed to do the job, but will have to keep themselves physically fit in order to carry out the job.
Not only does the therapist need to have the physical component, they also need to have the people skills to work with a wide variety of people, both patients and other professionals. A good bedside manner with patients will be needed, of course, but you must also be able to communicate easily with other professionals such as doctors or other members of a patient's rehabilitation team.
