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A Career as a Physical Therapist or Rehab Technician
Accredited Physical Therapy Assistant Programs typically take two years to complete . Click here for a list of schools offering Rehab Technician programs.
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Are you interested in working with people to help get them back on track? Consider a career as a physical therapy aide, physical therapist assistant,or rehab technician. Physical therapist assistants help patients in restoring function, relieving pain, and preventing permanent physical impairment. As a physical therapist aide, you may work with accident victims, as well as patients with fractures, arthritis, back pain, and head injuries.
Training for physical therapist programs start with basic science courses such as biology, chemistry, and physics and then introduce specialized courses, including biomechanics, human growth and development, examination techniques, and therapeutic procedures. Your training will also include supervised clinical experience. A background in anatomy, biology, social science, or chemistry with volunteer experience in physical therapy helps in applying to a program.
Career Tracks: Physical Therapist Assistant and Physical Therapist Aide
A physical therapist assistant, sometimes known as a rehab technician, works with people to help them improve their mobility, relieves pain, and helps to prevent or limit permanent disabilities. Their patients might be accident victims, people with illnesses such as arthritis or cerebral palsy, or people with fractures or severe sprains. They will need to know how to test the patient's strength, range of motion, coordination, muscle performance, endurance, and motor function.
A physical therapist assistant will work with the primary therapist to determine treatment and then work with the patients in exercises, giving massages, electrical stimulation, paraffin baths, traction, and ultrasound.
A physical therapist aide performs more routine tasks under the supervision of the therapist or physical therapist assistant. They keep the area clean and organized and help patients move between different areas in a wheelchair or with physical support. They are not licensed and so they cannot perform any clinical tasks.
With a growing number of baby boomers aging and an increased focus on health in general, a career in physical therapy will provide you with many possibilities and a stable future.
Next: Physical Therapy Education and Training Requirements