Physical Therapy Assistant - A Bright Future

If you love working closely with all sorts of people and have been thinking about a career in the health care field, you might want to consider becoming a physical therapy assistant. This is a professional position requiring an associate degree and, in some states, a license. It is a growing field with good prospects for employment.

A physical therapy assistant works under the direction of a physical therapist to assist patients in their treatment. The patients fall into every age group and are there because of muscle, joint, bone or nerve injuries or impairment. It is the physical therapists job to relieve pain, reduce disability, and restore mobility, among other things. Many of the patients have suffered traumatic injuries; others are simply seeking relief from a "bad back."

Many of the tasks assigned to physical therapy assistants require physical strength. For example, an assistant is often called on to help lift a patient or move equipment around, so strength should be a consideration when weighing the possibility of entering this field. On any given day an assistant can perform a variety of tasks, including applying hot or cold packs, helping a patient learn and correctly perform exercises, giving massages and paraffin baths, and doing ultrasounds. Another important function of the assistant is to help patients learn to use crutches, wheelchairs, braces, and prosthetic limbs.

A physical therapy assistant [http://www.ashworthuniversity.edu/programs/healthcare/pa/] comes in close contact with many people, and has the rewarding job of helping them attain better health and mobility. It is an excellent career choice. If your current circumstances are not what you would like, or if you are just starting out in life and have not found a direction, an online school is a great place to get educated. Classes are easy to afford, and coursework can be fit into anyone's schedule, no matter how busy, because there are no deadlines to meet. A physical therapy career is just one of dozens of educational opportunities online. It is a great way to make a fresh start!