Physical Therapist Assistant Overview - Preparation - Day In The Life - Earnings - Employment - Career Path Forecast - Professional Organizations

Physical therapist assistants help physical therapists to provide treatment that improves patient mobility, relieves pain, and prevents or lessens physical disabilities of patients.

A physical therapist might ask an assistant to help patients exercise or learn to use crutches, for example, or an aide to gather and prepare therapy equipment.

Patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as lower-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy.

Physical therapist assistants perform a variety of tasks. Under the direction and supervision of physical therapists, they provide part of a patient's treatment. This might involve exercises, massages, electrical stimulation, paraffin baths, hot and cold packs, traction, and ultrasound. Physical therapist assistants record the patient's responses to treatment and report the outcome of each treatment to the physical therapist. The extent to which an assistant performs clerical tasks depends on the size and location of the facility.

Physical Therapist Assistant Resources

Online

Overview:
Overview of the work of Physical Therapist Assistants

Preparation:
Programs, Degree Fields

Day in the Life:
Specialty Areas, the Workplace

Earnings:
Salary Ranges

Employment:
Statistics, Employment Options

Career Path Forecast:
Predictions for Physical Therapist Assistants

Professional Organizations:
Resources, Networking, Support

Internet Resources:
American Physical Therapy Association
APTA Student Assembly
APTA - PTA Resources

Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.