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Work Setting

Physical Therapy regards a wide variety of


individuals, from young children to elderly adults.
In addition to this wide variety of patients comes a
wide variety for which they the help of a physical
therapist are needed. Rather it be a sports related
injury, a physical disability one was born with, or
an individual being rehabilitated from surgery,
physical therapists must adjust to the needs of
their particular patient. For this, physical therapists
can be found in a range of work settings. For those
recovering from a sports related illness, some
physical therapists work directly in sports settings.
For example, these settings may include artificial
turf, agility courses, and strengthening
mechanisms that allow the patient to slowly be
exposed to similar conditions they were facing in
their athletic environment. These conditions are
simulated in hopes of regaining the strength and
stability, allowing the individual to return. On the
other hand, individuals recovering from surgery,
typically elderly, are more commonly rehabilitated
in facilities closely related with their primary
surgeon. These relations allow the surgeon and
physical therapists to work directly together in the
healing process of the individual. In other words,
this form of rehabilitation allows the doctor to
oversee the progress of their client. Finally, those

Salary & Job Option


Typical salaries of physical therapists start at an average of $80,000. However, annual
salaries may differ in regards to the state, the position of the physical therapist, and
the amount of experience one holds. Within the field, there is always room for
improvement and increases in pay. The top 10% make roughly $113,300 annually.
In correlation to the variety of work settings for physical therapists, comes the variety
of jobs, which they may hold within the field. For example, forms of entrepreneurship
can be found in many private practices, particularly those associated with the
rehabilitation of athletes. Many individuals with degrees in physical therapy have
moved on to later opening training centers for both young and teenage adults. Within
these facilities are programs designed to decrease the chances of individuals getting
hurt through strengthening as well as safety programs designed to decrease the chance
of accidents that could be prevented. Along side of this, many athletic programs and
universities are acquiring physical therapists to help in the healing of injured players
in hopes of a quick recovery.
In addition to this, many family and sports practices around the country have allowed
the appearance of more physical therapists jobs. These physical therapists are
typically those working directly with doctors and coinciding with their plans on the
road to the recovery of their patient.

Mackenzie Brown

Lets Get Movin

Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy is a physical medicine and
rehabilitation specialty that remediates and
promotes mobility, function, and quality of life
through examination, diagnosis, prognosis, and
physical intervention. Physical Therapy is one
of the most predominate careers within the field
of Exercise Science. Exercise Science is the
systematic study of the mechanisms underlying
human movement, and physical activity. The
field is related closely with human anatomy,
physiology, psychology, and biomechanics. In
opposition of the other careers associated within
the field of Exercise Science, Physical Therapy
focuses more on the physical side to the
rehabilitation of an individual.

Education

In a given day, a physical


therapist is concerned with
hands on work that will directly
impact an individuals health.
Because of this, Physical Therapy
requires education beyond an
undergraduate program to
ensure mastery in the field. After
obtaining a degree from an
undergraduate institution, those
interested in becoming a
Physical Therapist are required
to complete two years of
Physical Therapy school,
followed by a licensure exam.
While many associate Physical
Therapy with the field of Exercise
Science, it is not the only degree
those hoping to peruse a career
in physical Therapy may follow.
Because of the similarity in the
study of how the body moves,

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