Physical Therapy Schools|Benefits Of Massage Therapy Schools

The plantar fascia is a thickened fibrous aponeurosis forming the longitudinal foot arch. It provides fixed support to the longitudinal arch and functions as a dynamic shock absorber. Persons with low arches or flat feet or high arches are at greater risk of increasing plantar fasciitis. The pain of plantar fasciitis is due to collagen degeneration along with recurring tearing of the plantar fascia.

Plantar fasciitis taping is often used to relieve stress on the plantar fascia ligament. It works by limiting the movement of the fascia. It limits the amount of stretching of the foot thereby keeping it from stretching excessively and preventing tears. Thus it can relieve some pain and inflammation of plantar fasciitis. Athletic tape is used to carry out taping. It is available in most drug stores.

Taping is a fairly simple method used to help ease pain related with the condition. Athletic tape can be applied in the morning to decrease strain throughout the day, or just before exercise to keep it from moving too much during physical activity. It is recommended that the tape be removed intermittently as it prevents the skin from breathing. The feet should be clean and dry to help the tape stick.

The procedure to be followed for taping is as follows. The ball-of-the-foot or metatarsal area is taped. Then another piece of tape is wrapped around the heel till it meets the taped area of the ball-of-the-foot. Another X shape is applied across the mid-foot. By applying tape horizontally across, the foot should be almost totally covered from the metatarsal region to the heel. This will add the support necessary to allow the fascia ligament to rest.

The success of taping varies depending on the person and the severity of the pain. At times, taping may not help in reducing pain. In other cases, it decreases the symptoms of plantar fasciitis, however, it may not completely heal and reverse the situation.

In the past, play therapy dolls or disabled dolls were considered primarily a clinical tool for use in hospitals and critical care units. A precious commodity, they were difficult to find, expensive, and not always accurate to the needs of the child.

Today there are many more options for children with physical disabilities who are experiencing many of the rigorous demands resulting from an illness or accident. The loss of a limb, the outward results of cancer therapy, the painful and arduous physical therapy demands resulting from an accident or surgery are made more bearable with the addition of a new friend with similar limitations!

Play Therapy Dolls - Just Like You!

The quality of the toys currently available is one of the features that make them so unique and special. Some are created from durable materials closely resembling the real thing, amazingly accurate in detail and have intricate and life-like working parts. What better surprise for a child who has lost a limb or all of their hair than a life-like toy with the same challenges!

The Gift of Disability Awareness

For children who are suffering and experiencing physical disabilities that make them feel different, these disabled dolls and play therapy toys offer an opportunity for them to feel as though they are special in an entirely different way!

Disabled dolls offer an opportunity to teach children about the needs of others as well. They can become valuable tools for a child with a sibling who is suffering, a parent dealing with the effects of an accident or illness, or the children of military veterans coping with the difficult reality of the loss of a limb or other physical impairment. Disabled dolls are a positive way for children to process and understand that different is A-okay!

Find Physical Therapy Programs in the United States and Canada. There is a vast assortment of physical therapy programs from which to choose. For instance, if you have already attained a certain level of education from one of over 200 accredited physical therapy programs in the United States, you will find that that a number of schools and universities provide extended career training in Masters Degree in Physical Therapy, post-graduate Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs, as well as Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs.

Depending on which physical therapy program in which you enroll, there are several specialized areas of study that are currently available. Various colleges and universities provide practical training in orthopedic physical therapy, geriatric physical therapy, neurological physical therapy, occupational physical therapy, cardiovascular/pulmonary rehabilitation, and pediatric physical therapy, among others.

If you are more interested in becoming a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or physical therapy aide, there are also numerous physical therapy programs primarily designed for the future PTA in mind. Candidates learn how to work under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist after they have successfully graduated from an accredited Associate degree program.

Associates in Physical Therapy programs often take approximately two years to complete and are the educational stepping stone for physical therapy assistants. Upon completion, graduates can go onto attaining their Bachelors, Masters or Doctorates and earn the right to become licensed physical therapists. Depending on the degree course, students can anticipate a curriculum in anatomy, CPR and first aid, physiology, biology, chemistry, and physics; and practical training in therapeutic modalities (including massage techniques, manual and mechanical therapies, etc.). While not all physical therapy schools offer the exact same curriculum, accredited physical therapy programs (by the American Physical Therapy Association APTA) must meet common, and basic educational standards; so while many may differ in specialized training, the academic foundations are very similar.

Once training has been successfully completed in one of countless physical therapy programs, graduates can earn from $24k - $88k annually.* (Depending on level of education, experience and training.)

If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding physical therapy programs, let professional training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.

*Salary Source: BLS (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Physical Therapy Programs: Courses of Study
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Physical therapy is essential to recovering from most types of accidents and surgeries. However its advantages are not just limited to the medical profession. Staying active in the first place can help you lead a healthier lifestyle and also help you live longer. It also makes for and long and rewarding career path for those that are interested.

First off physical therapy can be categorized as any kind of physical activity that helps a person deal with a problem. For people that have knee surgery this means that once the wound has healed enough you begin moving the joint. This is often painful at times but is essential to fast recovery. It can also be used to help people who suffer from chronic problems outside of the medical field.

Let's face it most of us aren't as active as we should be. Many of us sit at our desks for almost 12 hours a day doing work, and or checking emails. This can lead to chronic back pain, shoulder pain, and other aches and pains. Getting up and doing some exercises can help reduce the effect of these problems and can even help eliminate them.

When you start physical therapy you can expect new aches and pains to pop up here and there. This is because you're actively using muscles that you didn't before. A person who has shoulder surgery will have to move his shoulder in a variety of directions during the healing process or risk losing the use of it. Exercise in general is good for your health anyway, it helps build up your lungs, your heart, and increases your endurance.

Locating a good physical therapist is about as hard as locating a good doctor. Most of them are doctors in their own field, and you want to get a competent one. There is such a thing as bad physical therapy and undertaking this can have some harmful effects on your body. The best thing to do would be to check around and see which ones in your area have the best ratings. Many have to obtain certifications and the good ones will have awards for practicing safe techniques, and for outstanding service.

These are the ones you want to seek out and go to. As for breaking into the field of physical therapy there's a lot of work to be done. Physical therapists that work at a hospital usually have medical training as well. You have to either take nurses training, or go through medical school, and specify that you want to specialize in physical rehabilitation.

This field requires a lot of patience in order to deal with people. So if you don't get along well with people while they are suffering then don't try to get into it. You'll just end up hurting yourself, and literally hurting others. Physical therapy is not for the faint of heart, your going to see some pretty nasty wounds. You also need to be strong enough to help lift people in the event that they need assistance. If this sounds like something you would like to do then good luck in your training.

Some practices hesitate to switch software for physical therapists, nervous that it might negatively impact the staff or the client's experience. However, with proper planning and implementation, having up-to-date EMR software can actually improve the employee satisfaction and customer experience within your office. Whether a practice is considering changing to an electronic method of recordkeeping and office administration, or just upgrading the programs being used, learn what advantages there are to making the switch.

Physical Therapy Scheduling Software Keeps Therapists Booked

Implementing physical therapy scheduling software helps keep your staff busy consistently, and helps to prevent no-shows and double bookings. This not only keeps the morale of the employees up, but also ensures that your clients are attending their appointments regularly. Patient frustration is reduced significantly when there are no double bookings, and using a scheduling suite of products keeps your office better organized. A well-run practice presents more professionally, which in turn keeps clients happy and confident that they are well taken care of, not forgotten, and a priority for their therapist.

Software For Physical Therapy At-A-Glance Display Helps Give Better Recommendations

With the many types of software for physical therapists available, choose a suite of products that offers an at-a-glance user interface. This enables the administrative staff to easily book appointments, see a particular therapist's schedule, get up-to-date insurance reimbursement information, see what accounts receivable amounts are owing, and make appointment reminder calls.

This user-friendly type of display is of great value to the therapists themselves, as they can quickly view a patient's history, past exercise recommendations, outcomes, future appointments, and discharge notes. The staff will be happier not having to maintain bulky paper file folders, flipping through copious amounts of paper documentation in front of patients for whom time is already short. With increased client satisfaction, your therapists and office staff will also be happier, and therefore more productive. In turn, improved efficiency helps increase customer satisfaction, completing a very positive cycle.

Encourage More Personal Interaction

Physiotherapy is an incredibly useful tool for patients, and helps restore or maintain bodily functions. However, it's important for the employees of a physiotherapy practice to get to know their clientele and form close bonds with them. This loyalty and trust will improve the relationship, reduce cancellations, and ideally, promote positive outcomes. Integrating this type of recordkeeping fosters an environment in which members of the practice can interact more with the person in front of them, instead of being buried in the burden of paper files and lost or unorganized information.

In addition, the efficiency that software for physical therapists provides will mean the physiotherapists will have more time in the session for what matters: helping the patient. With consistently booked days, fewer cancellations, less searching for patient history, and a happier administration staff, client satisfaction will soar. Plan well for the transition, and your physiotherapists, management personnel, and administrators will all reap the benefits of this type of program.

Deep Tissue Massage is applied in a systematic way, concentrating on the deeper layers of the body's soft tissues. It aims to release chronic patterns of tension in the body, through slow strokes and deep pressure on the contracted area(s). Deep tissue massage therapy is therapeutic as well as corrective, and done properly should cause neither excessive pain for the client nor strain for the therapist. Working deeply does not equate with working harder or with more effort, but is the result of specific deep tissue massage techniques combined with knowledge of the different layers of the body's soft tissues

What Is Deep Tissue Massage Therapy?

The is a term often used by therapists to indicate that they use strong pressure, and won't just be stroking oil onto the skin. However deep tissue work is not just about the amount of pressure used; it's true intention is to work on all the layers of the body's soft tissues and particularly the structure which covers and encases them - the fascia. Injury, illness or prolonged immobility can cause fascia to become stiff, hardened or stuck to adjacent structures. This in turn causes pain, reduced mobility and impaired function.

Whilst sometimes being slightly uncomfortable, it should never be painful; a good massage therapist should always respect your pain tolerance levels, and will work with you to find a level of pressure that is comfortable for you.

Massage techniques for include the use of knuckles, fists, elbows, and forearms. The pace of a deep tissue massage session is usually slower than that of other massage work, to enable the therapist to pick up information from the client's tissues, assess the best way to address the tension and contractions found, and apply careful and sensitive pressure in order to achieve a comfortable and lasting release.

How Does it Work?

Pain and stiffness in the muscles and joints can be caused by long-term muscle tension, postural imbalance, overuse and injury. All these things can cause muscle fibres to become shortened, tiny pockets of scar tissue to form (fibrosis), and larger areas of scar tissue will get laid down as an injury heals. Shortened muscle fibres also result in reduced blood flow to the area, and inefficient removal of metabolic waste products by the lymphatic system. The net result of this is areas of the soft tissues that become stiff, hardened, and "glued together" in contracted bands - adhesions. Normal movement becomes impossible, and stiffness and pain set in. Deep tissue massage works by gently but firmly working across these bands to separate the tissues again, to lengthen shortened and contracted soft tissue structures, and to encourage efficient circulation to and from the affected area.

Who Benefits From Deep Tissue Massage Therapy?

This type of massage is highly beneficial for people who suffer from consistent muscle pain, especially in the muscles around the neck, lower back and shoulders. This can be caused by work related postural problems, leisure activities such as gardening, sports and exercise related injuries, and can also be the end-result of long-term emotional stress and tension.

The benefits of Deep Tissue Massage include:

• release of tension and stiffness from muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and fascia
• pain relief
• pain management
• increased flexibility and suppleness
• breaks down old scar tissue and adhesions
• improved mobility, posture and physical performance
• faster, more efficient recovery from injury and surgery

What to Expect During and After a Session

The technique usually focuses on specific areas. It can be offered in combination with other styles of massage, as a whole-body treatment or concentrated in one area, for example the lower back or shoulders. Your therapist will work with you to find a comfortable level of pressure, and will work with your breathing to help minimize discomfort and get the best possible release from the tissues.

When a deep tissue massage is done correctly, the benefits are experienced within the next few days. You may feel rejuvenated, or a bit sore, depending on the particular therapy session. Any slight stiffness or pain experienced after a deep tissue massage is a completely normal reaction and will subside within 24-48 hours.

It is advisable to rest and relax as much as possible after your deep tissue massage treatment, take a warm bath, and drink lots of water and/or herbal teas in order to help the body eliminate any waste products that have been released from the soft tissues. Avoiding caffeine and alcohol is also to be recommended, for the same reasons.

When you find yourself in need of help from physical therapists, you may be left wondering what these repeated visits to the therapy center are really accomplishing. Because it can often hurt at the beginning, and sometimes the road to recovery is "two steps forward, one step back," many are tempted to forget about therapy and attempt to heal on their own. If you are wondering about the benefits of therapy, here is what you should know about how it truly helps.

After an injury, your muscles are left damaged and weak. While you could, in theory, get your strength back doing exercises on your own, the sad truth is that doing exercises improperly could leave you with further damage or a new injury. Those weak muscles are simply too risky. Therapy helps systematically and properly strengthen those muscles so you can have full use of the limb again.

Physical therapists are specially trained to study your body and find weaknesses or inefficiencies with your biomechanics. They know how to target the specific areas of weakness with stretches and strengthening exercise so that you strengthen those areas and make them no longer a point of weakness. They also have training about surgical procedures, so they know how to systematically help the body recover.

Therapy can also help stretch tight muscles and joints. After an injury and period of rest, it is common for muscles to be left tight and with limited mobility. While this is common, it is not necessarily a good thing, as tight muscles and joints can be more prone to injury. A therapist can help you learn to stretch these joints in order to limit this tightness. This also works to break up scar tissue after surgery or an injury that caused a scar. Breaking up scar tissue will help improve mobility and range of motion for you.

Physical therapists can also help you know what you can do at home to help promote your healing. For instance, ice and heat can both be helpful to the healing process, but only when used appropriately for your injury or recovery. A therapist will know how to help you properly use these tools, and will give you instructions as to what to do at home. Another area is with at-home exercises. The therapist will teach you how to do the right exercises for your particular difficulty, and give you the instructions and tools for doing it properly at home. Follow up appointments allow the therapist to see if you are properly following directions to aid in your healing.

Finally, physical therapists have access to tools you cannot use at home. Ultrasound therapy and electrical stimulation, for instance, have been found to be quite helpful in boosting blood flow, limiting pain, and promoting healing. They can also break up scar tissue. However, it would not be safe for you to use these tools at home without proper supervision. Only by going to therapy regularly will you have access to these valuable healing tools.

I was in the last week of my Remedial Massage course. The teacher stood before the class and said, "Now, the average life of a therapist is between two and five years!"

What? I've just spent 6 months and over ten thousand dollars for a new career - and statistically I'm going to last just 2 years!

The class of 20 discussed it and we all decided that we would prove it wrong. We all planned to be successful and rich therapists living a great life, choosing the hours we want to work and the clients we wanted to work with.

Well... two years have now passed since that day. And the results are surprising - considering we were all so committed the proving the statistics wrong.

In brief, one classmate wouldn't give up their night filling job and commit to her new career. She didn't wake until lunch and never got going. Another was waiting until they could afford the best massage table on the market, and never got going. Two others went straight back to the jobs they had before studying as they liked the security. Another young man worked at a 5 star clinic for a few weeks before realizing he didn't like feeling 'oily' all the time. Two more injured their lower backs from wrong table heights and bad posture and found it too hard to continue. One by one I ticked them from the list.

Two years later and of the twenty in my class, only four of us are still massaging. I have just spoken with them before writing this article, and 'They all love what they are doing - but haven't yet met their financial goals.' We thought we would be able to choose the hours and clients we wanted, but the reality is that we are at the beck and call of anyone who calls.

Looking at it now with perspective, the four of us still working as full time massage therapists were the natural healers of the class. We have warm hands when we work and really care for the well-being of all those we meet. Not that the others in my class were not nice people... maybe not just natural healers.

I just wanted to give a quick warning to those considering the profession. Don't believe the brochures without doing your own research. Be sure to get several massages and talk with therapists in your area before you sign.

My class thought we would prove the statistics wrong. We didn't.

Most of us know about the benefits of getting a massage but what are the benefits of giving a massage?

When I was in massage school I started to notice a very interesting phenomenon. What I noticed was that when I finished doing a massage I had more energy than I did before I gave the massage. It wasn't really evident at first because I was concentrating so hard on trying to remember everything and getting it right, but after a few months it became apparent that I was receiving as much benefit from the massage as I was giving.

I talked with my teachers expressing concern that maybe I was somehow sucking energy from my clients. They assured me that this was not the case. Once I became aware of this blessing of massage I started paying more attention to it. What I noticed was that the more massages I was giving the more I was getting out of those massages myself.

What I have realized over the years is that giving a massage is somewhat like a meditation. When I work I am totally focused on that person and particularly on that body for at least one hour. At times when I am working if there is a loud noise or something it usually startles me more than it does the person on the table because of the level of focus that I put into a massage.

I started asking around to see if other massage therapists had this same kind of experience with massage. What I have found is a resounding yes. That is exciting. At our massage school we teach weekend classes once a month for the general public to learn basic Swedish massage. Again and again we have students commenting that they can't decide if they would rather give or receive the massage.

Here are the findings from a study from the TRI about this. Elderly Retired Volunteers Providing Versus Receiving Massage

Elderly retired volunteers were assessed after giving Infants massage for a month versus receiving massage themselves. Results were: 1) they reported less anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms and an improved mood after giving infants massage; 2) their pulse decreased; 3) their cortisol levels decreased; and 4) they reported improved self esteem and a better lifestyle (e.g. fewer doctor visits and more social contacts) after the one month period. These effects were stronger for giving infants the massages than receiving massages themselves, suggesting that the massager can benefit from simply giving massages.

"Elderly Retired Volunteers Benefit from Giving Massage Therapy to Infants", Journal of Applied Gerontology, (1998), 17, 229-239

So as you can see it was not just me! I asked some massage therapist friends about the benefits they felt like they receive from giving massages. The list looked like this.

1. People are happy to see you
2. I love hearing that people are doing better because of massage
3. I don't have to sit while working
4. I feel I am promoting healthy life choices
5. General frequent compliments on my work
6. Being able to trade with other people for massage, haircut, waxing, computer work.....
7. Teaching people about the body
8. Being able to offer advice or referrals ie: certain doctors for MRI or X rays
9. One of uninterrupted time, no phone, email, knocking etc.
10. I go to work to relax.

One therapist did mention that she always felt a little jealous that it was not her on the table! I guess we are all human after all.

I think this is a pretty impressive list of benefits for any job. Next time you decide to receive a massage maybe you should ask your therapist what he or she getting out of it? Hopefully their answer will be a very enthusiastic- TONS!

With the growth in the physical therapy field, physical therapist assistant programs are becoming more and more popular. The attractive salary and benefits that it offers and the uncomplicated nature of procedures involved in this part of the medical field, makes it a popular choice for graduates these days.

Also on account of the current economic situation in the US, a lot of people are being forced to stay in careers that are in danger of disappearing. Many people have been laid off during this time and now find it difficult to make ends meet. Utility bills, mortgages, medical, food etc are a few of the many financial and social pressures people have come into. With this, people are considering occupations they had never before thought about and are switching away from fields that are having less jobs as compared to the number of candidates swarming in.

A job as a physical therapist assistant is an area in healthcare that people are showing interest in. An initial training of just two years can get you this great position and can provide you with starting salary of $40,000 per annum. Hence, by acquiring an Associate's Degree you can more than replace the average salary. Also, this career is not limited geographically. Physical therapy is not only practiced in all states in US but also all over the world.

Now having decided to pursue this medical field, there are some important choices we have to make.

• Firstly you need to decide that whether you'll go for a vocational school that focus on healthcare programs or a Community College or University that offers training in this specialty.


• Then if you can be a full time student or a part time.


• Also, if you'll be an on-campus student or if you want to go for online physical therapist assistant program.

Measure the pros and cons of every choice and then decide depending on what suits your lifestyle and pocket.

Vocational Schools

The most important thing to consider for vocational schools is accreditation. Unless the American Physical Therapy Association accredits the school, their students cannot take the licensing exam to become certified and hence to lawfully practice with a physical therapist.

Another thing to consider is whether the credits acquired are transferable to most state colleges or universities. This is important because if later you decide to pursue your career as a physical therapist then you'll have to start from the beginning to acquire a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree, if your credits from the vocational physical therapy assistant program are not transferable to a regionally accredited college.

Online Physical therapy assistant programs

Technology has made our lives easy in many ways. If you're working and can't commit as a full time student, online programs give us the convenient opportunity to complete the required coursework. They are less expensive and flexible.

Today, we have a wide variety of physical therapist assistant programs to choose from and be part of a rich and rewarding career. Despite the tough economic times, this rapidly growing field assures a satisfying future in meeting our financial as well as social obligations.