| For people who have had a stroke, sports injury, or | | | | work, but to be able to regain lost functions such as |
| debilitating accident, loss of simple functions such as | | | | speech, walking, and movement can be tremendously |
| walking, talking, or even lifting an arm or finger can | | | | heartening. A good physical therapist is able to |
| be devastating. Luckily there are health care | | | | motivate and inspire patients to continue their |
| professionals that specialize in helping people regain | | | | exercises and progress, even if they have difficult |
| their strength, movement, and coordination. A | | | | disabilities to overcome.To become a physical |
| physical therapist is one such health care professional, | | | | therapist, a person must have a bachelor's degree, |
| and they can be a miracle worker to those who | | | | and must then graduate from a Physical Therapy |
| have disabilities due to illness, injury, or accident.A | | | | school to obtain their doctor of physical therapy |
| physical therapist works with patients to determine | | | | degree (DPT). Physical Therapy schools combine |
| what their injuries or disabilities are, and then | | | | clinical work with regular coursework, and most |
| develops an exercise program that will allow them to | | | | students attend about 4 years. To become a |
| regain use of functions that have been lost. The | | | | licensed practitioner, they must pass state boards in |
| physical therapist may focus on areas to increase a | | | | the state they wish to be licensed in. Physical |
| patient's strength, range of motion, coordination, and | | | | Therapy programs are very competitive, so |
| endurance, and also seeks to prevent permanent | | | | undergraduates should maintain a high grade point |
| injury and relieve pain through a variety of exercises. | | | | average, and try to get work experience in the |
| Patients will visit the physical therapist several times a | | | | field.A physical therapist can treat a variety of needs, |
| week for exercises and evaluation, and will often be | | | | while others may specialize in certain areas such as |
| given exercises to perform at home.The physical | | | | Sports Therapy, Geriatrics, Pediatrics, or Neurology, |
| therapist will typically prescribe the use of devices, | | | | by obtaining additional training and certification.The |
| prosthetics, or other appliances that will help | | | | field of Physical Therapy can be both very challenging |
| accelerate healing, or allow a patient to carry out | | | | and very rewarding for both the patient and the |
| normal activities. They will work with the patient, and | | | | Physical Therapist. The schooling and breadth of |
| show him/her how to use the device in the correct | | | | knowledge needed by the physical therapist is |
| manner. A physical therapist will also monitor progress | | | | extensive, but will be well utilized by the patients |
| at each visit, and work with the patient's other | | | | needing physical therapy to recover from injury and |
| doctors to ensure that they are apprised of progress | | | | illness.Cathy Seiler writes Physical Therapist articles |
| or issues.Therapy can often be slow, painstaking | | | | for her website. |