physical therapist question?
440895
I am a physical therapist and I LOVE my job.  Going to graduate school is definitely worth it.  \n\nDepending on where you live, yes, the money and benefits are good.  Most physical therapists work 36-40 hours a week (meaning 8-10 hours a day).  \n\nIt is a physical job (no sitting behind a desk), makes you think (what is the cause of the patient's diagnosis and what treatment is appropriate), you meet the most interesting people, and you actually treat the patient rather than give them a drug or refer to a specialist.  \n\nAlso the job market is HOT for new graduates right now.  PT is a growing field and they are in demand.
84212
If your doc has not sent you to a physical therapist than do some online homework. There are stretching and back strengthening exercises that can help you a lot. I do them a.m. and p.m. and sometimes through the night if I get uncomfortable. They do work but you have to do them daily. You may want to ask your doc if you can see a pain specialist, they will find out what is causing the pinched nerve and tell you what treatments are available to you. I got spinal injsctions that took my pain level down dramaticaly. Good luck!
176479
when people started going to physical therapistsfor wound care
971404
Physical Therapy focuses on the lower extremities\nOccupational Therapy focuses on the upper extremities\n\nPT focuses on gait, walking, mobility\nOT focuses on dexterity of your hands to perform everyday tasks like cooking, hygeine, etc.\n\nYour Major would be Physical or Occupational Therapy with emphasis in pediatrics.
903354
I just recently graduated from PTA school in August and have just gotten my first job as a PTA.  In the field of PT you work with people and their injuries.  You do usually have to obtain some measurments to see how bad the injury is so that may be considered data.  The thing that I like most about my job is being able to help a patient achieve their goals in getting back to their daily activities.  I got started when I was looking into going into PT school but didn't want to go to school as long and found out that a PTA only has to go to school for about 2 years instead of about 6.  Personaly qualities needed are definitely good communication skills, confidence, and knowledge.  To become a PTA you need to enroll in a program that is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association.  You do not need any prior college experience for the school that I went to.  During your time in school you will have regular classes as well as clinical rotation to be able to practice what you learn.  The most frequent problem that I have seen thus far is misunderstanding between you and the patient or other coworkers.  Technology is constantly changing in what we use although the use of our hands will always be needed.  We use ultrasound(different than what is used for pregnancy), electrical stimulation(not as bad as it sounds), and even lazers are starting to be used.  Word of encouragment would be to be serious about the education because this is where you will get most of your knowledge and just know that other people are putting their trust in you to get them better.   As a PTA you can work in a private clinic, a hospital, a rehab unit, and nursing homes as well as companies that do home visits.  I know that in the midwest that the average PTA makes $16-$18/hr depending on what setting you work in and how much experience you have.  As a new grad I am working in a nursing home and my starting wage is $15/hr.  The site that I have listed is the college that I attended.
676833
Try contacting the Physical Therapy schools in your area (California State University, Sacramento - for example).  A student physical therapist may be interested in helping.\n\nOtherwise, look into social security, medicare, medicare in your state.
798953
I have been to many many chiropractors and unfortunately had some that really screwed me up.  I had one dislocate three of my ribs and they are still dislocated.  They'll never go back.  I went to a physical therapist after that, and even though it does take longer, I don't have the back pain like I did.  I used to be fine for a few months and then have to go back to the chiropractor for a few months and on and on.  After 6 months with physical therapy I've been good for 5 years.  If my back starts hurting I just start doing the exercises that they taught me and I'll be ok again.  Some chiropractors are wonderful and do a great job, but physical therapy worked much better for me.  If you can't decide between them, try both.
1059146
First, what is it that you don't want to deal with?  You left that important noun blank.  Blood?  People? Nurses? Animals? Gun shot wounds? Children?\n\nSecond, there is no such thing as "physical therapy trainer."  It is "Physical Therapist."\n\nThird, you need to get your undergraduate degree in a science or health science (I recommend kinesiology or athletic training) and take all the pre-requisites.  Then graduate school is typically 3 to 3.5 years.  Good luck!
568946
I'm pretty sure there are a lot of PT jobs out there. You might want to try Wal-mart or Kmart as a door greeter or just some volunteer work at a hospital or something like that.
582714
The duration of Physical Therapy depends on your injury.  An adhesive capsulitis, torn rotator cuff, multi-directional instability, impingement, etc, can take 6-20 visits.  Variables include pre-morbid status (was your shoulder strong and flexibile before the injury?), co-morbidities (do you have a systemic diagnosis that may delay healing?), and age (healing process slows as you get older - this happens as young as 20 years of age).\n\nAs your physical therapist about your prognosis - he or she will have a better idea than random people on a computer.
718366
Physical therapy is an excellent choice for a career (not that I am biased -  I am a PT).  A good PT school program would require taking a kinesiology class as well as many other sciences.  I find it extremely rewarding (more so than some of my friends who have desk jobs), intellectually challenging, and even physically demanding.\n\nThere are many different areas in which you can practice.  Neurology, orthopaedics, acute care, rehab, skilled nursing facilities, pediatrics, etc.  Pay depends upon where you are and which field you go into.  Check www.salary.com to see if it will give you an estimate on salary.  Not to mention, it is very much in demand right now.  Many companies are offering to pay for part of your education and giving signing bonuses.\n\nThe American Physical Therapy Association is the professional organization for PTs.  The website is: www.apta.org and you can find information on many aspects of PT on that website.
753663
Hey. Im a MA at a pain management clinic and you're right. All this basically is, is that you pulled something in your lower back. If you have a primary care physician ( PCP ), get a referal to see a pain managment dr.. If this pain does come and go, then you wouldn't want it to be anything major in the long run by keep putting it off. A pain management doc she be called in for this. We have alot of patients come into the clinic with this type of problem and the dr orders physical therapy to work the kink out. By this being only a problem from exercise and not fibromyalgia, you should be fine with a little light back work-out to work it out. But, still, go see a pain management doc to give you direct orders.
796142
PT means "physical training". Not sure what the x2 and x4 is, as it has all changed quite a bit since I was there. Maybe someone else will have that answer. Good Luck.
498020
Have you tried physical therapy? A lot of times they can use interventions that are helpful such as relaxation, energy conservation, gentle stretching, moist heat, ultrasound, biofeedback and exercise to help with pain managmetn...Just be careful and dont listen if you get a therapist that tells you to work through the pain, ive learned with my FMS patients need a lot of rest. But in a lot of cases, there isn;t a lot that that can be changed, even with patient compliance
762473
You cannot intern a physical therapist unless you are enrolled in a physical therapy program and it is part of your clinical education.  However, if you are serious about becoming a physical therapist, you must complete a minimum of 50 hours of observation (being a volunteer) or employment in a physical therapy setting.  If you can find employment as a PT technician, this is an on-the-job trained personell who may do a variety of tasks such as clerical work and setting up patients on treatments under the supervision of a PT.  Try the job postings at local hospitals for "PT technician" or "PT aide" or apply as a volunteer.  Before you apply for grad school to become a PT, be sure to check out that schools admission requirements for how many hours you must observe.
562811
Talk to your doctor about getting home health physical therapy.
680507
Actually yes if you are talking about physical therapy. You sometimes reach a plateau and will no longer benefit from any additional therapy. My daughter actually received an injury from too much therapy. If this therapy is for mental health then there really is no limit. Due to life's issues there are always things to discuss and work through with your therapist (if you can afford it).