I've been considering physical therapy as a career but someone told me that physical therapists have to do a lot of feeling/touching people? Is that true? I know you help people move but how much do you have to touch? Where?
2007-12-23 09:53:26 · 6 answers · asked by Twilight Is Love 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Pain & Pain Management
I am a Physical Therapist Assistant as well as a Massage Therapist. Physical Therapy is a treatment process...we use different types of modalities to treat our patients. There is some touching to find the muscles that are sore, also some massage, but not as much as a Massage therapist. Touching is something that is not really an issue. We deal alot with orthopedic issues, shoulder, knee, hip, major joints and muscles. If you would like to discuss this more .. please email me or contact me on yahoo.
Thanks
2007-12-24 03:04:15 · answer #1 · answered by wingsafar 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a lot of physical contact...not just with massaging (which is only a small part of what we do), but will joint mobilization, stretching, etc.
Most of the time, it is touching an extremity...streching a shoulder, a leg. Patients might be clothed or at least partial skin to skin contact if they are wearing shorts or short sleeves.
Rarely, you will need to get into personal space. If you work in a hospital setting, you are going to encounter catheters, iliostomy bags etc...and yes, you might have to help wipe an occasional butt! Sometimes during PT is the only chance people get to get up and do their business.
In other settings, you might have to massage the gluteal area or touch the back.
If you specialize in women's health, you might need to examine the pelvic floor or examine the breast in cases of pelvic floor dysfunction or lymphedema. Yet, these are highly specialized areas and only those with specific training would do so.
There is plenty of time during your education to get used to physical contact with patients.
P.S... A PT is not the same as a "masseuse" or even a "massage therapist"...and never call a massage therapist a "masseuse"..."masseuse" implies one of "those" type of massages...you know what I mean ;)
2007-12-23 10:25:38 · answer #2 · answered by mistify 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Physical Therapy is nothing like Massage Therapy.
But yes... you have to touch people. After all you are rehabilitating them from an injury.
Mainly you show them the correct way to do exercises (technique, guiding) much the way a personal trainer would.
When doing assessments you would need to feel if there is any resistance in the joint/muscle/tendon... check range of motion.
Theraputic taping would involve touching all parts of the body.
Now... although you wouldn't be touching a patient as in depth as a massage therapist but there does need to be significant contact.
It's the health care field.... if you don't like touching people then you need to look into something else.
2007-12-23 10:00:51 · answer #3 · answered by peachy_keen_jelly_beans 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A lot, but not like a masseuse. You'd massage body parts but only for stretching a flexibility in a patient.
2007-12-23 10:01:09 · answer #4 · answered by jamerican01 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here's an idea for you: Call Meramec and ask if you can come to a couple classes there to observe. They have a great program there for PT assistants. You could take the beginning classes there, then transfer for the rest of the program to get your degree.
2007-12-24 02:01:35 · answer #5 · answered by Debdeb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the answer above...
Health care = physical contact with MANY people (patients we call them). If you think it is weird, try a different field!
If you choose it, good luck and have fun.
2007-12-23 10:03:08 · answer #6 · answered by Kristof 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋