Applying Psychological Knowledge In Physical Therapy

Psychology is the basis of how humans respond and interpret information. When going into certain careers, having many psychology courses along with your major degree is a requirement. Having the knowledge of how the body functions and what causes it to react the way it does can not only help out professionals but benefit the patients as well. For example, in becoming a physical therapist there are requirements to take psychology classes to help the students learn more than just the physical stature of the body. If a physical therapist can understand the reasoning behind injuries and what their patient was going through, then the recovery will be more effective and guaranteed. According to assumption.edu, studying psychology to prepare for …show more content…
When examining patients to develop a plan of treatment having the knowledge of knowing their reasoning behind the injuries can help the physical therapist not only help them recover but to be positive there is nothing neurologically wrong as well. Being able to apply psychological knowledge in the clinical practice of physical therapy is a challenge. According to ptjournal.apta.org, a large percentage of physical therapists are aware of the importance of psychological factors and attempt to utilize this awareness in their practice. The application of psychological knowledge might range from providing reassurance to setting goals or inquiring tools to adequately apply this knowledge. For example, although sixty-three percent of physical therapists in a primary care setting were aware of the importance of psychological factors, only forty-seven percent reported knowledge of using them clinically. Furthermore, when asked to specify which psychological factors are of importance, most therapists listed some evidence-based factors but also a host of non-evidence-based factors. Indeed, many of the factors listed by clinicians were difficult for them to address (drug abuse or marital issues) in the clinic and did not match the evidence-based factors included in that article. In conclusion according to the ptjournal, there’s a key problem that appears to lack clear guidelines for …show more content…
When dealing with patients just out of surgery it is the physical therapist job to return the patient to how they were before their injury. Without understanding the patient’s condition or any disorder they might have the physical therapist could push the patient too much or even not enough. For example, a physical therapist does not want to motivate a war veteran the same way he would an elderly person.
At the end of the day, the basis of physical therapy should begin with a psychological understanding of the clients before beginning physical therapy. In knowing the patient’s mindset the recovery process can run very smoothly and without error. If the physical therapists of the world can follow this process then there will be many injuries prevented and or managed