- Becoming a physical therapist requires years of education and training in areas such as kinesiology, anatomy, biology and physical fitness. Many physical therapists also receive extensive training in patient psychology to better understand and help clients cope with the emotional challenges associated with …show more content…
The big misconception is between physical tehrapy and sports medicine. A physician who practices sports medicine is a fully-licensed physician who can diagnose and prescribe medications. He or she has chosen this field as a specialty and much of their day-to-day patients are being seen for sports related injuries and conditions. Although some sports medicine specialists may provide some hands-one therapies, a significant portion of the practice may involve ordering diagnostic tests such as x-rays and MRIs, diagnosing injuries and disorders, referring patients to sub-specialists, referring patients to physical therapists for specialized therapy, performing in-office procedures and prescribing medications to treat sports related injuries. A physical therapist does not need to attend medical school. However, many physical therapists have many hours of experience providing physical therapy as an assistant before becoming credentialed. Physical therapy can be prescribed for a wide array of injuries and disorders, not only sports-related ailments. Physical therapy focuses on healing with non-invasive techniques. Arguably, physical therapy is a more hands-on approach as compared to sports medicine simply because the nature of the specialty – therapy involves assessing a patient’s current physical abilities, helping the patient learn appropriate physical therapy techniques, ensuring that the patient can practice techniques on their own and then reassessing the patient’s progress. Many fields are similar and knowing which one you want to get in to is better to concentrate on then not knowing what to study