The job of a physical therapist comes with many responsibilities, as they’re working with patients to improve movement while simultaneously managing pain from an illness or injury.
A physical therapist must carefully assess each patient and develop an individualized treatment plan before beginning their program.
Many people are curious to know how many people a physical therapist sees in a day.
On an average day, a physical therapist who works in an outpatient setting can see as many as 8 patients each day, or one for each hour of work.
This will vary, however, depending on the number of patients that actually show up for appointments and more.
A physical therapist working in a hospital setting might see the same number of patients each day, or significantly more.
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How much does a physical therapist earn each year?
Although physical therapists don’t become rich doing what they do, they earn a pretty decent salary.
On average, a physical therapist earns about $89,000 a year, while the lowest salary depending on the area is about $61,000, and the highest is just shy of $125,000.
So, as you can see, the salary of a physical therapist isn’t too shabby, and a person working as one can earn a comfortable living.
What type of degree is needed to become a physical therapist?
In order to become a physical therapist, a person needs the minimum of a bachelor’s degree, although more money can be earned if a person earns a master’s degree or even a doctorate’s degree.
There are accelerated degree programs, and if you’re serious about becoming a physical therapist, it’s easy to search online for the best programs.
If you are looking to move up in the world of physical therapy and maybe even become your own boss, then you might want to earn a more advanced degree, as it will make doing so easier.
Is it necessary to become a physical therapy assistant before becoming a full-fledged physical therapist?
While some people opt to become physical therapy assistants before becoming full-fledged physical therapists, it is not a requirement.
Some people like the idea of working as an assistant in the beginning in order to get a feel for what exactly a physical therapist does.
Many students attending physical therapy programs in colleges often work as physical therapy assistants throughout their college years.
It’s a great way to have their foot in the door when it’s time to complete their required practicums as well as seek employment.
Is working as a physical therapist a stressful job?
Any job working with people can be stressful and working as a physical therapist is no different.
However, many physical therapists absolutely love their jobs, and they look forward to going to work each day.
It can be very rewarding to see their patients achieve all their goals in physical therapy and regain full function of their bodies.
Examples of conditions treated by physical therapists
Physical therapists work with a team of other professionals to perform conditioning and reconditioning for a number of different illnesses and injuries.
From post-stroke recovery to chronic neck pain to post-knee surgery, and everything in-between, physical therapists do it all.
If you are suffering from chronic pain or some other condition and you believe physical therapy might help, then you need to see your primary care physician who will provide you with a referral if he or she agrees that this type of treatment might help your condition.
How much is the average physical therapy session?
Physical therapy sessions can vary wildly in price, depending on where a patient goes, as well as what they’re going for.
Patients can expect to pay as little as $20 per session to as much as $250, but patients without insurance pay an average of $125 for each session, while patients with insurance usually pay around a $30 co-pay.
For patients without insurance, it’s a good idea to shop around for the most affordable price.
About how long does a physical therapy session last?
A physical therapy session can last, on average, anywhere from 40–60 minutes, and the initial visit is usually the longest because of the history that must be obtained in order to develop a treatment plan.
However, each session may not be the same length of time, as you might work on different exercises each time.
Can you get better after 2 or 3 physical therapy sessions?
Some people can feel significant improvement after merely 2 or 3 sessions with a physical therapist, but it doesn’t mean that they should quit.
The person may not have reached their full level of functioning and more sessions could increase the person’s chances of doing so.
However, if you’re paying out of pocket and you feel that after 2 or 3 sessions, you’re not interested in going to additional sessions, then that’s certainly your right.
Can going to physical therapy decrease the amount of pain medicine a person needs?
Physical therapy can certainly reduce a person’s need for pain medicine because the therapies performed can decrease pain.
So, if you’re interested in getting off some or all of your current pain medications, then physical therapy could be the thing for you.
However, a referral is needed in order to go for physical therapy, so you must see your primary care physician or a specialist for a referral.
Is physical therapy always successful?
Physical therapy is a very effective way to treat a variety of different conditions, and while it is successful at improving mobility in many cases, it’s not successful 100% of the time.
However, if your doctor recommends physical therapy for a condition, then you should at least give it a try.
You never know if physical therapy will be successful or not until you give it a try.
The average length of physical therapy treatment
Although each patient’s treatment plan is tailored specifically for them, each patient has a certain amount of treatment that the doctor recommends.
The average length of physical therapy treatment is anywhere from 6–12 sessions.
Some patients may go for 6 sessions and be completely improved, while others can go for 12 and require additional weeks.
If a patient requires more sessions than is recommended, then they may have to pay for additional sessions out of pocket because most insurance plans have limits on how many they will pay for based on a person’s specific condition.
However, most people notice a dramatic improvement after a few weeks of starting physical therapy, so it isn’t that common for people to need therapy beyond 12 sessions.
What can one expect during an initial physical therapy session?
During your first physical therapy appointment, you can expect a complete assessment to be performed so the therapist can create a custom treatment plan.
Everyone’s treatment plan will be different because each person has different problems, different abilities to heal, and more.
After the assessment and treatment plan, the therapist will then implement the treatment plan, which is what the physical therapy assistant will carry out with the patient.
What other professionals do physical therapists work with?
Physical therapists work with many other professionals in a team, and which professionals will depend on the place of the job.
Physical therapists work with doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, mental health therapists, and many other professionals.
It is often necessary for every professional on the team to meet in order to discuss the treatment plans and progress of each of the patients that they share.
Working as a physical therapist can be a very rewarding job.
Not only are you helping people to become free of pain, but you’re improving their quality of life at the same time.
This is huge because the quality of life is a very important factor in a person’s life, so you should be proud of what you do.