The History Of Physical Therapy

Great Essays
Physical Therapy one of the biggest and most rewarding fields in health care today. There are plenty of opportunities for Physical Therapists help everyday people to overcome pain, restore mobility, and lead independent lives. As a Physical Therapist you can with people of all ages and backgrounds. Who are suffering from temporary or long term pain and disability’s caused by injury or disease.
By becoming a physical therapist, you work closely with numerous personalities and qualities. Now I will tell you what is Physical Therapist, how to become a Physical Therapist, starting a career as a Physical Therapist, and the challenges and rewards of becoming a Physical Therapist.

The Origins of Physical Therapy can be found back in ancient times.
…show more content…
The American Physical Therapy Association membership increased to around 8,000 members by the 1850’s. Education programs to train Physical Therapist also increased to allow for more qualified therapists offering rehabilitation. Today there are over 200 physical therapy programs in the United States. There are a variety of specialty areas to practice in, including geriatrics, pediatrics, sports medicine, and orthopedics. The APTA continues to grow. The association has contributed to the history of physical therapy in the United States. The APTA now have over 74,000 members (The History of Physical Therapy, A Brief Look From The Beginning). Physical Therapists who choose to specialize are prepared to treat patients in their area of medicine. They study more about certain parts of the body. Below are some of the current areas of specialization in physical therapy. Orthopedics deal with bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. The human body performs perfectly, when they all work together. When something goes wrong it is often very painful. Orthopedic Therapist help people with back pain, broken bones, hip and joint replacements, and arthritis …show more content…
You must have first either get or have been working at least to three years towards and undergraduate baccalaureate degree. After graduating you must then pass a state – administered national exam. Then after passing the exam you will need to meet any additional requirements your state licensing board may have, before they will allow you to practice (Become A Physical Therapist.). Choosing a first job site is the specialization or area of interest. A Physical Therapist wishing to practice many forms of therapy should not work in a cardiopulmonary clinic. There may be different responsibilities for Physical Therapists in each area. Below are areas where Physical Therapists can work. Physical Therapist in a hospital can meet a variety of people. Some Physical Therapist may work in certain sections of the hospital. Others may work in many. The duties in a hospital are diverse as the problems of the patients of the hospital. The goal still is getting the patient ready to return home (Harasymiw, T.).
When patients need long term rehabilitation. They are sent to Rehabilitation Hospitals or Rehab. These patients have often have severe injuries. Some of these people need to learn the simplest of movements. Physical Therapist in a rehab hospital must work to keep the patient hopeful about recovery (Harasymiw,

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    The physical therapist assistant profession has a scope of practice,…

    • 1111 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The demand for this job is expected to increase because of the health needs for the aging population. This baby-boom generation is entering the prime age for heart attacks and strokes so they will be in need of lots of rehabilitation. Also, conditions such as diabetes and obesity are growing and physical therapist assistants will need to help patients maintain their mobility. Similar Occupations…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Physical therapy is a type of treatment needed when health problems make it difficult to move and do everyday tasks; it helps aid to pain caused by movement. The goal of a physical therapist is to help make daily tasks easier. They also help to recover after surgeries or injuries. The physical therapist will first observe the movements of the patient and then diagnosing their dysfunctional movements; from their observations, physical therapist then set up care plan to set goal and an expected outcome. They use forms of exercise, stretching, and hand-on therapy to help increase movement and avoid further pain or injury.…

    • 259 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    There has been a longstanding campaign by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) against physicians and physician groups that provide physical therapy services1. This basically stimulates the need to analyze the motive behind physician owned physical therapy practices (PTOP) and their overall effect on the physical therapy profession. The American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons claims that the PTOP promotes the delivery of quality and efficient care through the utilization of common space, resources and technology with the physical therapy unit2. It would seem ideal for a physical therapy practice to be owned by a licensed physical therapist (PT) and would be odd if a physical therapist decided to own a medical…

    • 112 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction The physical therapy (PT) scope of practice is ever changing, growing and adaptive to the societal needs. The professional roles we mainly hear or read about PTs are their roles in patient/client management and prevention and risk reduction services.…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    She was the founder of The American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association. The name for physical therapy has changed twice over the years with the current name for physical therapy being American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) (Curtis Physical Therapy 6-7). Since the profession of physical therapy plays an important role in health care delivery, physical therapists have many responsibilities. Physical therapists, also known as PTs, play a major role in rehabilitation. A physical therapist is someone who helps injured or ill people improve their movement and manage their pain.…

    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Physical therapy is a great career because they offer opportunities for advancement and one-on-one interaction with people or animals. Physical therapists demonstrate exercises and help people become more mobile. Physical therapy has been around for centuries. World War I proved that there was a need for physical therapy when women were recruited to help in the treatment and the rehabilitation of wounded troops. The Bernard Becker Medical Library documented that, 'the first school of physical therapy was established at the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. after the outbreak of World War I, and 14 additional schools were established soon afterwards.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Therapeutic Careers

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A career is an occupation for a certain period of time of a person’s working life. You may have multiple careers during your life depending on your interests and skills. Three jobs that I am interested in are physical therapy, sports medicine and veterinarian. I chose these careers because they are really interesting and they benefit other people and even animals. Physical therapists (PT) are professionals that work on the rehabilitation of patients of all ages and teach their patients how to manage their condition.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Physical Therapy Assistant

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The career path for becoming a physical therapists or physical therapists assistant has many opportunities for advancement and promotions to eventually be able to retire from a successful…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Injuries are a natural thing in human nature. When breaking a bone, there is a specific person who specialize in these type of situations to go to for help. When seeking a career as a physical therapist, a person must carefully look into the responsibilities this will entail, the skills one must have to succeed, plus other important aspects such as working conditions, salary, and the future of the job; however, just as important is to carefully seek out the University Of Texas Pan-American (UTPA) which will best prepare one for this profession. The tasks and responsibilities of a physical therapist include Patient Assessment: “physical therapist must perform an initial assessment of a patient’s illness or trauma in order to determine what the best course of action will be to restore mobility, alleviate pain or prevent further deterioration. During the assessment, physical therapists evaluate a patient’s ambulation, balance, coordination and control, among other physical abilities”.…

    • 1534 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Physical therapists must be proactive and constantly seek ways to better serve their profession through continuing education, improving therapist-patient relationships, and gaining a greater understanding of what physical therapy is truly all about. Doctor of physical therapy students should be active members of the APTA, seek out mentors in the classroom and the clinic, and provide the best care to patients during clinical…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The association began to rapidly grow and the number of physical therapy education programs in the United States increased. In the late 1940s, the association changed its name to the American Physical Therapy Association;…

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Physical therapy is my calling because it relies on two of my deepest passions: health and serving others. Becoming a PT would give me the power to help others become improve their health by helping them become more physically independent. However, I believe, in the words of comic book writer Stan Lee, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Becoming PT gives you authority over your patients, which you cannot take lightly. Having a strong sense of professionalism is a way to balance the power you have and the responsibility it brings.…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    How to become a Physical Therapist A physical therapist, also known as PTs "healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat individuals" (American Physical Therapist Association). A few years from now I will be the go-to person when one is in chronic pain seeking to reach a state of relief. I have set a goal to become a physical therapist because I have a heart full of compassion, seeing others happy and in great condition warms my heart.…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The overview contains reception of the job, different settings, duties, education requirements and much more. It also welcomes the idea of following this career through positive videos which display this type of work. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm I used this source for quick straight to the point facts which helped me to understand things I did not receive clear understanding from.…

    • 1040 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays