Physical Therapy Assistant Job Description

Becoming a physical therapy assistant can be a great career choice for someone interested in physical fitness and medical rehabilitation, and also desiring a profession in the health care industry.

It can be a very demanding job both physically and emotionally however, since it is very hands-on with patients as they go through therapy for a variety of reasons.

It is recommended that candidates research the physical therapy assistant job description to learn as much as they can before making the final decision and enrolling in school or any formal training. In this way, students will understand ahead of time what to expect from this career path, and whether or not it is the right decision for them.

General Physical Therapy Assistant Job Description

A physical therapy assistant has the important role of assisting a licensed physical therapist in providing treatment to patients in need of rehabilitative care.

The type of duties will greatly depend on a few things such as the type of facility, whether or not the position is for specialty care only, the patient's needs and the PTA's training and experience.

Typically, the physical therapist will meet with patients as required after surgeries and/or treatments and periodically throughout therapy continuation to assess the patient's progress, then prescribe physical therapy treatments and exercises to aid rehabilitation.

It is then the assistant's job to help the patient in performing those exercises or do those treatments. In all actuality, it is the PTA that has more patient contact in many cases than the PT themselves, since it is the PTA's job to carry out the prescribed rehabilitation order.

A physical therapy assistant's job description may differ from one job position to another, but in general they will usually all include many of the same duties such as explaining therapy to patients and their families, answering the patient's questions, showing patients how to use exercise equipment and therapeutic aids and helping them to perform required exercises and movements correctly, among many other tasks.

PTAs who are trained to do so may also be required to administer massage therapy, laser therapy and hydrotherapy. Occasionally a PTA may need to perform wound care for some patients, too.

Yet another part of the physical therapy assistant job description, PTAs are usually responsible for fitting patients with any orthopedic devices or other therapy aids such as crutches, splints, wheelchairs, orthotics and other devices, as well as teaching patients how to care for and use them.

Additionally, it is the responsibility of the PTA to record progress during rehabilitation sessions in the medical record, recognize problems that the patient may be having and to report all progress and problems to the PT who is overseeing each patient.

Detailed documentation is a very important part of a PTA's job, and can be a substantial part of the workload besides actually working with the patients themselves.

Specialty Practice Physical Therapy Assistant Job Description

Some rehabilitation facilities will specialize in treating patients of only one type, such as those that have heart conditions, have had heart surgery or have had other serious surgical procedures, patients recovering from stroke or patients recovering from other debilitating illness or accidents.

In these types of practices, while the basic job description will usually be the same, the actual hands-on exercises each patient may be required to perform will differ. In such cases, PTAs may not do many of the tasks that others do at different practices, but they are usually required to at least be trained in all the different aspects of physical therapy treatment.

Some specialties may also require additional, specialized training, too. Rehabilitation specialty areas include cardiopulmonary therapy, neurology, geriatrics, pediatrics, orthopedics and stroke rehabilitation, just to name a few. Training of PTAs beyond their basic education and the general physical therapy assistant job description is then tailored to the needs of the practice.

It is probably easy to see that the physical therapy assistant job description is quite diverse, and can be very challenging at times. However, with explaining about the job requirments in advance, it should also be said that most who go on to become a PTA find much personal satisfaction in this career field. The job provides a great way to make a difference in people's lives directly, making all of the hard work very worthwhile.