Although it was several years ago, I can still remember the day when I decided that I was going to have a career in Physical Therapy. After finishing an intense soccer practice when I was nine years old we finished off with a small scrimmage. While playing midfield, everything was going very well until I get an unbelievable sharp pain in my right knee. Determined, I tried walking it off, limping around the field as if nothing happened. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t keep up. As I fell to the cold freshly cut grass, I began crying and sweating. Zoning out, I just stared at the baby blue sky hearing voices far away when yet they were so close. I couldn’t feel my legs, terrified, I think to myself that I may not walk again. I remember I needed help to get off the field, everyone being so …show more content…
I went to the doctors the next day and I was told that I pulled my thigh muscle and that I needed a session of Physical Therapy., I did not know what Physical Therapy was at the time, however, it was going to turn out to be the amazingly unexpected
Ever since I was a kid, it has been my life goal to help as many people I can. I have moved around in many different areas of the medical field, but no career had caught my eye as much as physical therapy. As an athlete, I have been in and out of the physical therapist’s office for a majority of my life. Each time I have went I could not help but be beyond grateful for what these people have done for me; they have given me the ability to play the sport I love despite all the hiccups. Physical therapy is a dynamic field within the field of medicine because as a physical therapist one can make a difference in the lives of his or her patients, enjoy job security, and enjoy a rewarding and personally satisfying career.
The medical field is expanding ever so rapidly in today’s society. In the field of Physical Therapy one needs to have the understanding of how the human body works and the injuries one body could sustain. I have chosen a career to help others to battle back from life-changing injuries or surgeries. I will take the first step of joining the medical field by obtaining a physical therapist associates degree. I will become a Physical Therapist Assistant.
Life can change in a split second when an unanticipated injury or disease hinders someone’s normal daily life. Modern medicine, physicians and families can only do so much but physical therapy can help recoup the life many of us take for granted. It often isn’t until we lose something that we as humans realize what we had such as the value of our body’s ability to take us through each day. A physical therapist is the person who stays with a patient for the duration of the rehabilitation process. A physical therapist leads the patient through the process of regaining physical strength and helps the patient regain control of their future. Much like many careers that involve interaction with individuals, physical therapy reaches beyond
While there may be many experiences and attributes that I possess that will be a catalyst in my success as a physical therapist there are three that I feel have thoroughly prepared me for the physical therapy profession. First is the attribute of empathy. I feel that I am empathetic as a result of growing up with an older brother who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. I can definitively say that growing up with a sibling who has a disability has shaped me into the person that I am today and has allowed me to develop skills in ways that others may not have been exposed to. This experience will be valuable because when patients are receiving physical therapy, they may feel alone and frustrated with themselves. It is important for myself,
Eventually though, my frustration through this injury disappeared, and I can contribute that to physical therapy. I was entranced by the profession. Keeping active and healthy while helping all sorts of people regain their confidence in their own bodies. The environment was relaxing yet productive and I immediately felt at ease. I could trust these people and they could get me out of my slump. As I finished up my rehabilitation (that went without a hitch I’m glad to say) I realized that a job like physical therapy was something I felt an extreme passion for.I could see myself as a Physical Therapist, and the qualities clicked with me; patience, empathy, optimism and determination. I may have given up football, but a new path opened up for me. The ascent into my future had finally begun, and stopping is not an
Physical therapists are members of a health care team, specially trained to improve movement and flinction, relieve pain, and expand movement potential. Through evaluation and individualized treatment programs, physical therapists can both treat existing problems and provide preventive health care for people with a variety of needs (Physical Therapy-Improving 1). Physical therapists are very knowledgeable and skillful concerning the human body. Physical therapy is a complex, but rewarding field to pursue as a career. Specialization, working conditions, job outlook, salaries, and education requirements need to be taken into consideration when contemplating a career as a physical therapist.
Not only have I viewed physical therapy from the eyes of a physical therapist, but I’ve also seen it from the eyes of a patient. Unfortunately, I tore my ACL while playing soccer in October of my senior year, and I broke my wrist in a car accident the following month. Doctors ended up having to surgically repair both injuries, thus I had to attend dozens of physical therapy sessions for both body parts, before and after each surgery. Experiencing physical therapy as a patient was life changing, and it solidified my decision to become a physical
As future physical therapists, PT students are motivated to get out into the world of health care in order to make a lasting impact on the profession. Physical therapists go through a rigorous education process to receive their Bachelor’s and now go onto graduate school to obtain a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. This adds up to about seven years of education post high school.
In January I tore my ACL, MCL and meniscus. I was extremely upset I wouldn’t be able to play tennis for a long time. Tennis was a huge part of my life. I spent countless hours after school practicing and traveling to tournaments on weekends. At the time it was devastating knowing it would no longer be a part of life for a year.
If I am accepted into the University of Texas at El Paso Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, I plan to use my past experience and training from the program to oblige under privileged areas and communities. Moreover, I began to prepare for the mission of providing culturally skillful and dialectal experienced care through my experience shadowing and volunteering under Sandra Terrazas, where I have been in contact with patients of different ethnic backgrounds. By sitting in on patient evaluations and therapy sessions of primarily Spanish speaking patients, I am taking steps to learn Spanish in order to better serve the patients in my community and beyond. Likewise, I have been volunteering at a clinic where I can observe different diagnoses and populations such as geriatric patients, breast cancer survivor therapy, incontinence patients and sports injuries.
On September 8th, 2015, I first began interning for Dr. Dawn Cox and her staff of experienced Physical Therapists at PRANA Functional Manual Therapy in Lancaster, PA as a Physical Therapy Aide. Intermittently, on the first day of my internship, I would ask the therapists “Why choose Physical Therapy as a profession?” One of the Physical Therapists conveyed that aside from the substantial benefits a job provides, it was the intangible materials that gave the profession a meaning. As a student exploring the field of Physical Therapy, I have infallibly witnessed professionalism at PRANA and other Physical Therapy facilities through the therapists’ altruism towards patients -without violating ethical practices as professionals; their apposite use of communication with each individual at the workplace; and their sense of accountability when things go unforeseen.
This was an interesting article from the journal “Physical therapy.” This article acknowledges that pediatric physical has been shown to reduce skull deformation in infants with positional preference; however, this article also recognizes that not all infants respond well to therapy. The main focus of this study was to identify characteristics in parents and in infants which may help to predict responses to therapy.
In physical therapy, the money issue is pretty significant. These issues come from healthcare reforms in states too essential health benefits regarding Medicaid. But there has been a growing national concern that physical therapy patients have to deal with and that’s the growing financial cost of out-of-pocket physical therapy expense. Now certain health plans help avoid the gutting out-of-pocket cost for their consumers, making the copayment cost a lot cheaper. Unfortunately for most consumers, health plan expenses can exceed the reimbursement paid by the plan to the provider of care, shifting the financial burden onto the patient and making the cost per visit very costly. To prevent patients from paying these high copayments the APTA must support state legislation which prevents cost-shifting which will minimize the financial burden that’s put on patients.
What is a sports physical therapist? A sports physical therapist is a physical therapist who specializes in the field of sports medicine. This type of therapist is qualified to work with patients who have suffered debilitating injuries from sporting events (Thyberg). Sports physical therapists work with a number of patients with problems ranging from muscle pains to sports injuries. Their work doesn’t consist of only working with injured patients; sports physical therapists must come up with care plans, fill out paper work, and check in with their patient’s doctors for status updates. There are several components that make up the job of a sports physical therapist.
The human experience is not a vague suggestion of what everyone strives for. This is a very individualized set of preferences and priorities that each person desires in life. We are all unique beings and as a physical therapist, there is a duty to create a specific strategy of care that is centered on the needs of the consumer. Movement is the basis of everything we do. Optimizing movement by improving mobility and motion, managing pain, and regaining original capabilities will guide society to a healthier and more active lifestyle.