Physical Therapy

Not all physical therapists can handle and accommodate their patients especially if one patient needs to be given a longer therapy session. This is where an assistant will be very convenient and helpful to the therapist. There will also be a case wherein a patient is too heavy or big to be handled by the PT, such scenario can be a lot easier if there’s a physical therapist assistant to help out. The demand for physical therapist has dramatically increased and because of this the need for assistants has increased too.To be a PT’s assistant is not as complicated as one think it is, all you need is to earn an associate degree in physical therapy assisting and you are already qualified to work. If you want to be more competent before applying in a job you can volunteer to work in rehabilitation centers, nursing homes or private clinics where you can work closely with a PT. Being a volunteer will help you build your skills, knowledge and familiarity in all sorts of therapy procedures which will give you an edge as an applicant. It will not just strengthen your chances of getting a job but will also help you prepare for the actual work you will have. Most of the therapist prefers someone who already has a strong background in the kind of work they do. They also like a sidekick who doesn’t need to be trained with the basic things one should already know. If you have volunteered in any type of rehabilitation facility and was able to work closely with a PT you need not to worry about what preferences a therapist have because you surely have it all.A physical assistant salary is not just financially rewarding it’s spiritually rewarding too. This type of job entails helping people recover from disability or permanent malfunction of the body. You will see how one’s life gets better and better every therapy leading to a much functional life. Wouldn’t it be great to be part of a person’s success in recovering and see him get back on his feet? Wouldn’t it be nice to be known by other be people because you have helped them get better and live a normal life again? These are just a few things that you can be proud of when you start working as a physical therapist assistant. You can just think of your great physical therapy assistant salary as a bonus for making a positive difference in other people’s lives.

The physical therapy career remained immune from recession in 2008, and continues to produce a large number of jobs every year. This is due to the increasing aging population. Currently there are 110,000 physical therapy assistants working all across America. As per the survey by Outlook Magazine, the number of physical therapy assistant jobs is increasing at the rate of 45% every year and is expected to rise at the same rate for the next decade. Thus, this seems to be a promising field for all those individuals who are looking for a way to survive future economic turbulence.A physical therapist assistant works in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and health-care centers and assists the physical therapist with the recovery of patients. Mostly the patients have restricted body movements due to some injury or illness. The physical therapist assistant performs various treatment and rehabilitation procedures on patients under the supervision of a physical therapist. A usual treatment plan includes applying an ice-pack, conducting therapeutic exercises, massaging, etc. It is important for assistant have good upper body strength as he has to lift patients and take them to treatment area.In order to become a physical therapy assistant, an individual needs to complete a two-year Associate’s degree from an accredited school and then obtain a license. There are more than two hundred schools that offer physical therapy assistant programs. Some colleges also provide online courses for individuals who cannot join regular programs. Students are taught core subjects such as medical terminology, introduction to physical therapy, remedial work, biology, etc. They are also supposed to participate in a summer training program in a clinic to apply the skills they learned and also experience the field hands-on.A fresh graduate with a physical therapy assistant degree can earn an annual salary of $32,000. With increase in experience and certifications, the salary scale also increases. After 4 years of experience the salary is the range of $38,000 to $45,000. An individual with 20 years of experience can earn close to $60,000. The location of job also determines the salary of assistant. Those who work in Virginia earns higher than those working Florida and New york. Factors like cost of living and demand are responsible for this variation. One can also earn comparatively higher salary while working in home-health service facilities than working in physician’s office or in schools. Nursing homes pays the second highest salary followed by government facilities.