Physiotherapy training has become a popular choice for many young people today. Application of treatment procedures and principles is an important part in a physiotherapy program as well as the study of the theories behind these practices. Physiotherapists are also known as "movement" experts because of their training and education.
A Physical Therapist's Education: Knowledge and Practice
With a solid background in science and firm hands-on training, physical therapy or physiotherapy is one of today's most sought after career. A physiotherapist's work is very diverse. It usually involves working with individuals who are affected by illness, injury or developmental disability as well as those suffering from various pains and aches of the body.
Physiotherapy techniques and procedures involving the musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, and integumentary systems are all taken up by students in a physiotherapy program. An entry-level PT education course combines not only theory and evidence, but also hands-on physiotherapy training.
The Work of a Physiotherapist: Your First Visit
PT professionals are found working on an extensive array of medical settings - from cardiac rehabilitation to manual therapy to pregnancy pain program to acupuncture to orthotics.
However, first off, your session with a physiotherapist starts with the assessment of your health condition. This assessment then entails reviewing the patient's medical history, after which a physical examination follows. The evaluation of the patient's medical history is generally a subjective exam, while the physical examination takes on a more objective approach to the condition.
Duration of Physiotherapy Training: Not A Minute Wasted
To become a physiotherapist, there is a pre-requisite before you can enlist in an accredited physiotherapy program in most universities. A Grade Point Average or GPA of 3.0 is a must, especially in subjects such as chemistry, biology, statistics, and physics. There are also PT programs which oblige students to get at least one psychology or anatomy course before they get accepted into the course.
It takes about six years of education and training to complete a physiotherapy program. This includes three years of general medical course, and another three years of applied work.
Specialty Areas of Physiotherapy: The Calling
Physiotherapy being a diverse health field, several of its practitioners chooses to specialize in one of its many branches, each having its own specialized physiotherapy training. According to the American Board of Physical Therapy, there are seven major global specifications - Geriatric, Neurological, Cardiopulmonary, Neurological, Orthopedic, Pediatric and Integumentary.
Two of the main goals of cardiopulmonary physiotherapy are helping patients regain functional independence as well as improve their endurance. One physiotherapy program used to assist in clearing out lung secretions, as in those common in cystic fibrosis cases, is manual therapy. Meanwhile, neurological physiotherapy has more focus on individuals who have neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, brain injury, Alzheimer's disease and among others.
Orthopedic physiotherapists undergo specific physiotherapy training that makes them experts in managing orthopedic fractures, acute sports injuries, arthritis, sprains, spinal injuries and amputations. Geriatric PT, on the other hand, entails caring for the many conditions that affect the elderly, such as balance disorders, incontinence, arthritis, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's.
In pediatric physiotherapy, the child's problem is first evaluated, and then the therapist comes up with a customized physiotherapy program to suit the child's specific needs.
Physiotherapy in Canada: The Regulating Body
In many, if not most, provinces in Canada, licensing and registration for physiotherapists is a multi-level process. The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators as well as the province's College of physiotherapists are actively involved in this process. The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators grants its ruling and evaluates the student's educational equivalencies, after which the Physiotherapy Competency Examination (PCE) is then handed out. Meanwhile, the responsibility for making the decision on the competency of the local student, or immigrant applicant, lies in the province's College of Physiotherapy.
The Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) is the country's main voluntary professional physiotherapy organization. The main office is in Toronto but it has branches in 10 Canadian provinces and territories. Membership is around 9,000 practicing physiotherapist from all over the country. The organization's main objective is to give leadership and direction to the physiotherapy profession as well as to further enhance excellence in physiotherapy training, research and practice.
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