Physical Therapy

Question: Physical therapy? I am a freshman and just completed my first semester of college and i want to become a physical therapy does anyone know schools for physical therapy and what prerequisites and gpa i need to get accepted, and is there anything i can do to improve my chances of getting into a physical therapy school i have a low gpa for my first semester

Answer: A list of all US accredited program is at the following link: http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?section=PT_Programs&template=/aptaapps/accreditedschools/acc_schools_map.cfm&process=3&type=PT You can get a link to each school's website as the prerequisites and GPA will vary slightly between schools. Generally speaking, however, it requires 2-3 semesters each of bio, chem, physics, psych and math. If your GPA is low, it might not matter if those were not in prerequisite courses (as long as you still meet the minimum GPA requirements). If you have anything below a B in the prerequisites, I would take them over to increase your GPA. As mentioned above, even though minium GPA is usually 3.0...most students who actually get accepted are usually closer to 3.5 Good luck

Question: physical therapy? I just had acl surgery on my right knee. I lost my job and with that my insurance. with that happening i can't afford physical therapy!! anyone know what excersises i can do to help get full use back? do it? do what? that doesn't make scence.

Answer: The best thing for you to do is to pay out of pocket for 1 more session of therapy. Your therapist should have an indication as to where you were in your protocol. If he/she gives you the proper guidance as to how to progress your program, you might not loose that much function. It would be dangerous for us to guess where you are in your recovery, what type of graft you have, what the stability is like or what protocol your surgeon is using. Please, please contact your therapist for advice regarding a home exercise program. ...and then I would look into getting either COBRA or temporary health insurance (try Fortis)...maybe you could continue under this coverage.

Question: Physical THerapy?!................? What universities in Texas offer Physical THerapy majors?

Answer: Texas Angelo State University (A4, D6, F1, PU) Hardin-Simmons University (A4, D6, F1, PR) Texas State University-San Marcos (A4, D6, F1, PU) Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (D6, E1, E3, F1, PU) Texas Woman's University (A4, D6, E1, E3, F1, PU) The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (D6, F1, PU) The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (A4, D6, F1, PU) University of Texas at El Paso (D5, F1, PU) University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (A4, D6, F1, PU) US Army-Baylor University (A4, D6, D7, F1, PU) ...however, remember that PT is a graduate degree...you can major in almost anything as an undergraduate as long as you complete the prerequisite courses for the graduate program.

Question: What are some physical therapy exercises that can reduce the risk of bedsores? My sister is 16. She was paralyzed in an accident, she's very thin, she can't use her hands or roll over, and she has to be diapered mainly because she can't control herself. She's still in the hospital but will be coming home soon. What are some good physical therapy exercises or massages to do on her that can reduce the risk of bedsores? She's quadriplegic, I want to help do physical therapy on her daily when she gets home.

Answer: the key to prevention of bed sores is frequent pressure relief. She should have a good skin relieving cushion in her wheelchair and potentially a quality mattress with skin relieving features. Her PT and dme people can recommend specifics. In bed, she should be repositioned every 2 hours.

Question: Is it better to major in Physical Therapy or a broader career field like health science? I'm in my 2nd semester in a community college. I'm planning to transfer to a 4 year University after my 2nd year. Right now i'm taking pre-requisite classes for physical therapy but i wanted to know if its better to major in Health Science and then later go to physical therapy? Or major in Physical Therapy and become a physical therapist?

Answer: You won't be able to major in PT...it's a graduate degree. At best, you can major in "pre-physical therapy", but you could also major in health care sciences. You can major in anything as long as you meet your prerequisites. It may be worth it to get a degree that will allow you more options if you do not get into PT school. For this reason, many PTs major in athletic training, biology, etc.

Question: What is the difference between physical therapy and occupational therapy? I am wanting to go into physical therapy or sports medicine when i get older. I was wondering if someone could tell me what the difference is between physical therapy and occupational therapy though. Thanks in advance! Happy new year!!

Answer: Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy both aim to help a patient improve their abilities. The Physical Therapist will do this primarily by working with the patient to change their muscles, balance, strength, power, or stamina etc. Their treatment will usually include exercises that will work on different muscles or movements so that the patient increases their amount of movement, or relearns to move in a correct way. The physical therapist may need to work on the patient first by applying heat, or moving their arms legs etc for them. A physical therapist can work with sports injuries (as you say), and also with people who have had accidents ie. Stroke, Head Injury, amputation etc. They also work with people who need to improve their balance i.e. the elderly who have lost mobility skills, their input them helps prevent a patient from falling and breaking their hips etc. Physical therapists are also vital in helping children and adults with disabilities learn how to move. An Occupational Therapist's aim is to help a patient to gain as much independence in daily activities as possible. Activities include being able to do essential things like washing, eating etc, things you need to do like food preparation, getting out etc and things they would like to do i.e. working, hobbies etc. Reasons why activities are difficult vary from person to person - so the patient may not be able to eat because they cannot move their arm / hand. Treatment could therefore start with helping the patient improve their hand/ arm movements. This could look like physical therapy. If a patient cannot achieve the movement required though the occupational therapist will then work to adapt the activity - for example by giving the patient the correct specialist cutlery, or a special plate. The OT knows how to help a patient develop their skills, and adapt the activity and the environment - so they can advise to have ramps, lifts etc put in for a new wheelchair user too. All the treatment that an occupational therapist gives will be activity based. So an OT uses a task as a means of improving a patent's skill. So a physical therapist will give an exercise ie. making a pinch grip 10 times, but an OT will get the patient to pick up something tiny within an activity that they want to do i.e for a child - playing a game with small counters. Physical therapist's tend to have a more in depth knowledge of the muscular skeletal system, occupational therapists are expert in task analysis and working out how to enable someone to do things for themselves,rather than requiring assistance. These 2 disciplines frequently work closely together on the the same patient. I hope this helps!

Question: does massage therapy give you a heads up to Physical Therapy? or should I start out physical therapy aide? I just wanted to know if it would be a good idea to get in massage therapy school before getting into Physical therapy and what would be a better option physical therapy aide or massage therapy just wondering?

Answer: Other than the fact that you could earn money in your spare time, there is no advantage to becoming a massage therapist prior to becoming a PT. The level of anatomy offered at most MT schools is substandard to the gross human anatomy required by PT programs. PTs are hardly using massage anymore, and any techniques you really need to know as a PT take only a few hours to learn. Most employers would not consider having your MT and PT to be of any further asset. Becoming an assistant isn't worth the effort either. It would take you two years to get the degree and then you would find out that you have to start all over again to become a PT. Becoming an aide is possible, as it requires no formal experience. But it is not necessary to become an aide prior to becoming a PT. It's a good experience, but it pays very little. If you are serious about becoming a PT, I would start completing your prerequisites first. If you are in need of cash while you go to school, I would actually consider being a personal trainer. You'll learn more about exercise physiology and the time required to become a personal trainer is relatively little as compared to the MT (ie, you can start earning cash sooner). The start up costs for becoming a personal trainer can be significantly less than that of an MT. My two cents

Question: What kind of job can I get in physical therapy without being a certified Physical Therapy Assistant? I graduate from college in April with a biology degree. I want to work a year before going back to grad school for physical therapy. What kind of job can I get in physical therapy without being a certified Physical Therapy Assistant? What are some good places to look?

Answer: You can become a PT technician/aide without any previous training or experience. Many future PTs are employed as techs before going to grad school. It doesn't pay much, but is a good experience. Start with the HR department at your local hospital.

Question: What are some Christian colleges offering physical therapy? I'll be going to college next year, and I want to study physical therapy. So far all of the Christian colleges I've looked up have just been pre-physical therapy. What are some schools that offer physical therapy all the way through? If there is a Christian grad school that offers it, that would be fine. Thanks!

Answer: The problem is, most PT programs are housed at large public universities or medical schools. However, there are several Catholic institutions that offer PT such as Marquette, Northwestern, Creighton University. Yet, here is a list of all the accredited PT programs in the US: http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?section=PT_Programs&template=/aptaapps/accreditedschools/acc_schools_map.cfm&process=3&type=PT However, one thing to consider is that you can do your undergraduate work almost anywhere and then transfer to a PT program for your graduate education.

Question: What is the best school to consider for Physical Therapy? I am a current college student pursuing my BS in Athletic Training and wanted to become a Sports Physical Therapist or at least get my masters in Physical Therapy. What is a good college to go to and obtain a Physical Therapy degree? Is it better do get a Doctorate or just keep it at a masters and jump right in the Physical Therapy field?

Answer: University of California Long Beach or Loma Linda University. Just jump right into PT, UCLB has masters program and LLU has doctorate. Getting a BS before you go to PT does not get you through PT school any faster, and if you do get a BS, or BA, get it in business if you're plan is PT because you'll do better with finances if you start your own practice.

Question: How much do physical therapy assistants make? I want to go to college for cosmetology and physical therapy assistance. My son is in therapy and I literally fell in love with it, it's helping my son so much. I would love to go to school for 8 years to become a physical therapist, but I don't have the time, so I would like to do the assistance for now. Does anyone know how much they make in Florida? How long I'd have to go to school for?

Answer: PTA or Physical Therapist Assistant is 2 years of schooling and you'll get your associates degree. You can do it at an accredited community college. Salary for PTA"s ranges from $20-30/hr. DPT or Doctorate of Physical Therapy is 7 years of schooling( 4 undergraduate + 3 PT School). DPT salary is about $45-65/ per hour where in my area. Average salary in my state(NJ) for DPT's in 2009 was $83,780. DPT's can own and operate their own private practice and can earn salaries well over $100,000. PTA's earn a salary of about $40,000-45,000 per year.

Question: Any Occupational or physical therapy aides out there? How did you get your jobs? How old do you have to be and what is a typical day like? What do you do and do you like your jobs? Being an aide, do it make you want to go all the way and become either a physical therapist or occupational therapist? I need some advice because I am thinking about getting a job as an occupational therapy aide or physical therapy aide.

Answer: I am an occupational therapy assistant. An aide is responsible for the setup and break down of therapy equipment. They are also usually involved in transporting patients back and forth from therapy. Filing paperwork is also a duty of the therapy aide. It would also be good to find a job with a company that would provide tuition reimbursement for you to go back to school for an advanced degree. Check out the occupational outlook handbook for more info. Good Luck!

Question: If you major in Pre-Physical Therapy, are you eligible to be a Physical Therapists assistant? I am planning on going into the physical therapy career, but i have not yet decided if i want to go through extra school years to get my doctorate degree. So im wondering, is there a special class to look for to be a physical therapists assistant, or can i get by with taking pre-physical therapy?

Answer: No, you must graduate from a 2 year AAS degree in PTA. to become licensed as a PTA It is theory and practice. They must complete clinicals. In pre PT, you only take math and science course. There are no actual hands on PT classes or clinics.

Question: What are good physical therapy exercises for a finger? I recently had surgery on my pinky and now my finger is so stiff i cant bend it or straighten it. Its stuck in the middle does any one know good physical therapy exercises?

Answer: Physical therapy will usually involve strengthening exercises, splinting, massage, soaking in warm water, and paraffin wraps. Good luck.

Question: How many weeks does physical therapy usually last? I am getting physical therapy for my knees/hips and my first appointment was today. I have to go twice a week. Does anyone have a rough estimate of how many weeks I will be doing physical therapy for? Thanks!

Answer: It can be quite variable...from a few visits to learn your home exercises to several weeks...more details would need to be known...your therapist should be able to make a prognosis for you.

Question: How important is physical therapy in the recovery from a sprained and strained ankle? I'm 35, healthy, not overweight, female, get good nutrition, have no other medical conditions. Got a grade 2 sprain and a grade 3 strain 2 weeks ago. Now able to walk without crutches or cane while wearing an athlete's brace. (Vinyl, steel reinforced, laces up, and you can wear it inside your shoe.) When I went in for physical therapy evaluation, I was given a piece of paper with 4 very simple, non-weight bearing exercizes I am to do with my injured foot/ankle. 10 reps, 3 times a day each. And I am not to do the exercizes to the point where they cause me pain, but it is okay to do them to the point of discomfort. ('Ankle pumps', 'draw the alphabet with your toe', etc.) I am doing these simple exercizes, and will continue. But how important is it to set up future appointments with physical therapist? She wants me to come in 3 times a week for the next three weeks. Will this really hasten my recovery?

Answer: I'm 38 years old, but at 27 I shattered my left ankle. I had to have pins and a plate put in. The surgeon told me he could tell me what types of exercises to do for therapy but if I didn't do them, he'd send me to therapy. I did them a lot and healed on my own. The most important thing I can share with you is HOW I shatterred my ankle. My ankles are both weak. They are both this way because I played basketball in school and sprained them just like you did, a lot. The problem was, I didn't take the time to let them heal properly so they got weak on me. Whatever you do to avoid going through what I have, make sure you take the time to let it heal properly and get strong again. Mine aren't. They give out all the time and sometimes I am on stairs and this particular time I wasn't holding the rail and one gave out and the other snapped over the step. It was a mess. The pain I went through the day I did it and right after surgery was a 12 on a scale of 10. I had a child and that experience was a 5 out of 10!! I would ask the therapist if the exercises are going to get more difficult, or if they are going to basically be the same. If the same, do them on your own at home, but please keep doing them. I found walking on hills (with the ankle bending forward) were the most theraputic. Best of luck to you. Hope this has helped some.