Physical Therapist: The Scope Of Responsibilities

A physical therapist is a medical professional that deals with issues concerning the anatomical attributes of an individual. The different aspects of musculature and areas connected to it are involved in this practitioner's scope of responsibilities. It is not just in the recovery of trauma that he or she is called to attend to but also in treatment of sprains and other injuries that require their attention.

Education:
The education of the physical therapist is a specialized one that starts with the first year of college. The basics are taught to the students with some major subjects. The subjects are focused mainly on biology, zoology and other sciences that have a lot to do with the anatomical structure of living things, like animals and human beings. The course is a four-year course, with a fifth year for reviewing for the examinations that will qualify the individual for practice. The standard for this course is quite high and many students have some difficulty passing through it up to the fifth year. There are no subspecialties for this profession but there are many different machines, devices and techniques that they need to have intensive knowledge of.

Responsibilities:
The responsibilities of a physical therapist are to diagnose their patients correctly and to treat them. The medical conditions, illnesses and injuries that need this kind of medical professional are those that limit the movement and function of individuals in their daily lives. Those who are in pain or have limited mobility and movement are initially assessed with regards to where the pain, discomfort or disability may originate. They usually strive to prevent the loss of function and mobility resulting in disability through a series of techniques and methods that require the patient to interact with various exercises, machines and devices that will help to facilitate recovery.

Other interventions that may be of help include, but are not limited to, functional training, assistive and adaptive equipment, manual therapy manipulations and techniques, electrotherapeutic modalities and other physical agents. Massage is just one aspect of the profession and many practitioners are heavily misunderstood because of this.

In many cases, a physical therapist interacts with other professionals and practitioners in the medical field through consultations and practice. The other medical professionals include medical doctors, nurses, pathologists, audiologists and many others. The work environments of therapists are hospitals, clinics, private offices and other venues that are well equipped to handle the requirements of the practice. The practitioners themselves need to be physically fit with regards to the demands of the work. They need to be able to lift their patients physically as well as move them around to facilitate the diagnosis or the treatment. They should also be able to bear rigorous movement such as stooping, kneeling, standing, crouching and many other movements for long periods.

A physical therapist should also be able to move heavy therapeutic equipment and machines around to accommodate the session. Assisting the patient as he tries to turn, stand or walk is also part of their therapeutic techniques.