Tommy Said:

How long do you have to go to school to get a degree/permit in physical therapy?

We Answered:

I've seen physical therapy programs that can go from 2 years to 4 years. When you search for a school, try applying for accredited schools only. whether private or state schools. There are tons of schools these days that promise degrees that are not really approve by industries standards. If you go to a credited school, you might be able to continue your school career (transfer to a university) after you are done with your physical therapy program.

Oh yes......you should go to school for something that you love and know alot of. :) That would make it a lot easier on your life.

Good Luck

Theodore Said:

Has physical therapy advanced much in the last 15 years?

We Answered:

Physical therapy has made a tremendous change in the last fifteen years. It has gone from a program where many years ago, one could practice with a certificate and the PTs function was primarily as a techinician, to a role where much more "diagnostic" responsibility has been placed on the therapist (for example, more physicians refer patients to PT with a diagnosis of "shoulder pain" and it is the responsibilty of the PT to provide a PT diagnosis such as impingement syndrome versus adhesive capsulitis). In the last 5 years, all programs in the US now culminate in a master or doctorate level degree.

There is much greater emphasis on neuromusculoskeletal assessment, differential diagnosis and evidence based practice. PTs practiced for many years without much evidence to support the practice. There has been great emphasis to improve this in the past 10 years...especially with the demands from insurance and managed care companies. They want to make sure they are paying for things that work! What still remains a difficult challenge, however, is that physical therapy usually never involved one treatment approach, one modality or one exercise. Therefore, results get muddled when there are serveral variables.

Some examples of things that have since been left by the wayside since the push for evidence based practice include diathermy, more discretion with use of ultrasound and massage, whirlpool for wound care, etc. These are things that were found to be ineffective for certain conditions or found to not really produce the physiological changes that they once were thought to. In fact, many physicians still order things for PT that we now know are ineffective and it becomes our responsibility to educate the physican. (Such as use of Bedadine on a venous stasis ulcers or the standard "heat, massage and ultrasound" for lumbar hernaited discs...both very ineffective for those condtions)

It may be time to give it another go.

Roberto Said:

Who do I go to if I have a complain about my husband physical therapy?

We Answered:

This issue is here is that your husband really needs to be the one to voice a complaint. Unless he is unable to make his own health care decisions, there's not much recourse for you to voice a complaint. Certainly, it sounds as if she's being tactless and I do think it's worth it to notify her supervisor. If she is the clinic supervisor, I would recommend you contact the parent company...there is usually an owner or regional manager who may not necessarily be onsite. For instance, Accelerated, Health South, etc, all tend to have an immediate clinic manager/supervision, but they do have a higher authority to report to. If she is the owner of a private clinic, sorry, there's not much you can do other than to take your business elsewhere. Unless she's violated an ethics law, that's pretty much it.

What I would do first is to approach your husband about the situation...if your husband does not feel the same way you do, the deeper issue may lie with your relationship. If he's not seeing the disrespect you feel you are getting, you need to discuss this issue further with him.

Ricardo Said:

Will I need physical therapy after I get my back brace for scoliosis off?

We Answered:

I also currently wear a back brace for Scoliosis. I have had physical therapy before for my Scoliosis. Basically, they just gave me stretches for my back to help strengthen it. I had a good experience with the physical therapist. I have created a Scoliosis website at http://scoliosisstories.webs.com/. If you want to, you should check it out. Good luck!

Kirk Said:

What to major in before going to Physical Therapy School?

We Answered:

It does not matter what you get your undergrad in as long as you get your pre reqs done. The kinesiology program is fine.

http://www.education.wisc.edu/kinesiolog…

www.apta.org

Bessie Said:

What kind of excercises do you do at physical therapy?

We Answered:

What kind of thigh injury? Pulled muscle, broken bone, etc.? First appt, they just listen to your story of your injury, do some strength and flexibility testing, and then devise a plan for you. From then on, you will work on ROM, flexibility, and most importantly strengthening. You will probably do some leg raises or other simple things like that. The bike is very popular for use in physical therapy. Then you might start using weight machines. They may use several of their modalities such as ice/heat, ultrasound, e.stim, another type of stimulation to block pain, and other therapies. Good luck :)