Some treatment methods date all the way back to 460 B.C. when the Greek Physician, Hippocrates, advocated for the use of massage, hydrotherapy, and manual therapy techniques for pain relief.
During the war, “reconstruction aides” were nurses who were tasked and trained to rehabilitate injured soldiers. They used what they learned with rehabilitation to improve treatment of Polio and improve lives of those injured in later wars.
“therapy that is used to preserve, enhance, or restore movement and physical function impaired or threatened by disease, injury, or disability and that utilizes exercise, physical modalities, assistive devices, and patient education training”.
NAPA uses modalities during physiotherapy such as whole body vibration, body weight support systems, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, NeuroSuit, Dynamic Movement Intervention and more to improve PT outcomes.
“movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care and patient education.”
They also specifically state that paediatric physiotherapists “develop, restore, and improve movements.”
As movement experts we are trained to evaluate and treat each and every kid we see as an individual to meet their specific movement and developmental needs.
This means all therapists must now complete their undergraduate degree as well as three years of graduate school. PTs must also pass a national licensing exam to become a treating physiotherapist. After licensure, all therapists must complete continuing education courses each year to continue learning and growing. Advanced training is also available to therapists including residencies or fellowship programs, or independent study to become board certified in specialty areas, although this advanced training is not required.
Although a doctorate degree is not required in either the UK or Australia at this time, clinical training begins earlier in their collegiate career meaning they have the same valuable training and knowledge required to be the best therapists they can be.
Including, but not limited to: outpatient settings, hospitals, nursing homes, sports organizations, schools, and even in the home.
Some other cool modalities physiotherapists can use for treatment include therapy in the water (aquatic therapy) or on a horse (hippotherapy.) PTs can also treat any age from 0-100+ or even become certified to do physiotherapy for animals.
Physiotherapy was listed as #10 in top health care jobs, and #28 in best jobs by U. S. News and World Report.
We get to work closely with so many other professionals in every setting including physicians, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers and many more.
We use this month to raise awareness about the benefits of PT, and to appreciate what PTs, PTAs, and students do to transform lives!
We love seeing kids make improvements and meet goals. We love helping families learn and feel more empowered when working with their kids. We love physiotherapy!
