Physical Therapy Assistant

Become A Physical Therapy Assistant

Does the way the human body moves and bends fascinate you? Can you see yourself working to rehabilitate bodies crippled by injury, age or disease? If patience and optimism are also among your greatest strengths, then you should consider a career as a physical therapy assistant.

Physical Therapy Assistant in a Nutshell

Physical therapy assistants work under the supervision of a physical therapist to provide services that improve mobility and pain relief in patients who are suffering from injury, illness or disease. These services include:

• exercises
• massage
• stretches
• electrical stimulation
• hot and cold baths

Assistants record the patient's response to the treatment regimen and report the outcome of each treatment session to the physical therapist.

Education Requirements for Physical Therapy Assistants

Physical therapy assistants generally earn an associate's degree from an accredited physical therapy program. In addition, many (though not all) states require licensure or registration for practicing physical therapy assistants.

Requirements vary from state to state, however most have very specific educational and exam criteria, along with CPR and first aid requirements, plus mandatory clinical experience. If you are considering a career in this field, it is important to check with your state licensing boards to determine what criteria applies to you.

Day in the Life of a Physical Therapy Assistant

Assistants spend much of their workday kneeling, standing or stooping as they help their patients or demonstrate exercises; they must also lift patients from time to time. Because of this, assistants need a moderate degree of strength and physical fitness to do their jobs comfortably.

Patient and clinic schedules usually determine the work schedules of physical therapy assistants. Daytime, evenings and weekends are all possible work times - many outpatient physical therapy clinics offer weekend and evening consultations to conform to patients' personal schedules.

Job Growth for Physical Therapy Assistants

With the baby boom generation entering the prime age bracket for heart attacks and strokes, an increasing demand for physical therapy assistants is bound to follow. Plus, future medical developments are likely to increase the life expectancies of trauma victims, adding to the need for trained assistants.

In addition, with the health care industry's desire to lower costs, employing cost-effective assistants instead of physical therapists whenever possible makes economic sense. All of this adds up higher than average job growth projected for physical therapy assistants through 2014.

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