Let’s Talk About… Physical Therapy
While I’m assuming most of the people reading this are in physical therapy school or are interested in applying, I know there are some of you that aren’t. Maybe you’re interested in the medical field, maybe you’ve just heard of physical therapy from friends, or maybe you’ve never even heard of physical therapy at all. Regardless of your level of familiarity with the profession, here’s my take on its important and why I am so grateful to be in this field of medicine.
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy involves rehabilitation of patients with impairments that affect their ability to properly move without pain. According to the APTA, the American Physical Therapy Association, physical therapists:
- Diagnose and treat people of all ages
- Improve patients’ mobility
- Provide care in a variety of settings, including inpatient and outpatient clinics
- Teach patients how to prevent or manage their health condition for optimal functional movement
- Motivate patients during treatment
- Develop a plan of care using a variety of treatment techniques to help patients move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability
- Help to prevent loss of mobility by developing patient-specific programs
In order to become a doctor of physical therapist (DPT), one would have to attend a doctorate program that typically spans 3 years. As a student physical therapist (SPT), the graduate level education involves rigorous didactic courses, clinical internships, and preparation for the National Physical Therapy Exam. After becoming a licensed clinician, DPT’s can go on to pursue fellowships, residencies, or other specialty certifications.
Why is physical therapy important?
Physical therapists utilize different active and passive techniques to help patients gain mobility and function. They educate patients on ways to improve their pain, movement, and quality of life. Unlike typical medical doctors, physical therapists usually see one patient two to three times per week for several months. This way, they can witness and be a part of the patient’s progression through rehab. Without using external temporary cures, like medications, these doctors help patients regenerate their own bodies through exercise and hands-on (manual) techniques. Even though physical agents are used when appropriate, the true healing agent for the patient is their own body.
I’ve asked a number of people why they’ve chosen to pursue physical therapy. Every person said that it was because of their experience as a physical therapy aide, physical therapy intern, or physical therapy patient. I then realized that those who are passionate about the field are ones who actually EXPERIENCED it. Once they saw the incredible impact that these healthcare professionals can have on a person’s wellbeing and overall quality of life, they realized how important physical therapy can really be.
To those not in the field:
While I hope it doesn’t feel like I’m trying to shove all this information at you, I want to leave you with more information about physical therapy than you had before. I don’t expect everyone reading this to be advocates for physical therapy. I don’t even expect you to remember this information by tomorrow. However, I DO hope that you now have a general idea about the profession’s purpose. And, I hope that you have an open mind and ask questions if you are curious about it. Thank you for reading at least this far and for learning about why I believe physical therapy is an important part of the medical field.
To those in the field:
We know how great the profession is, how much it can impact our community, and how beneficial it can be for patients. However, a vast majority of the general public really doesn’t know. We’ve all heard people ask “can you just massage me there?” “am I just going to get ice and ultrasound?” and “I need you to fix my pain.” Even though it may be frustrating to face patients who lack the knowledge to understand the purpose of our profession, it is OUR job to educate them. It’s OUR job to tell them that we’re not miracle workers, masseuses, or personal trainers. We are (or are going to be) highly trained healthcare professionals that will teach them how to improve their mobility, DOCTORS that will use various techniques to best improve their quality of life. We should be the first medical professionals that they should think about when they sustain a musculoskeletal impairment. While we know how great our profession is, we need to educate everyone else so that they can understand how great physical therapy is as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read what I had to say about physical therapy. I could go on and on about this profession, but I’ll just stick to this short blog post 😅 I was so blessed to find the profession that I’m passionate about, so I’m just trying to spread awareness of all the good that these doctors can do for our community. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe for email updates on new blog posts, announcements, and downloads! 💕Also, follow me on Instagram @studywithanspt! Look forward to studying with all of you! 😊
