introduction

Physical therapists work to restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, hospitals, outpatient clinics, hospice, research centers, and schools. They do so by providing a plan of care that helps patients with injury or disease restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities. According to APTA, the American Physical Therapist Association, patient examinations often include testing of muscle function, strength, joint flexibility, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, respiration, quality of life, and activities of daily living. Physical therapists can specialize in a variety of subjects such as cardiovascular and pulmonary, sports, clinical electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics, and women's health. Regardless of one’s specialty, physical therapists allow individuals with chronic conditions to return to productive lives.

My Experience

In the summer of 2020 I will start a program at Temple University to receive my Doctorate of Physical Therapy. To help me prepare, the previous summer I volunteered at various clinics in the Twin Cities. Specifically, I volunteered at two very different locations, TRIA Orthopedic Center and Impact Physical Medicine and Prism Aquatic Center, spending a total of about 50 hours at each location. TRIA is a huge company with multiple locations in Minnesota and offers various orthopedic services at its other locations. On the other hand, Impact just has the one location where you can see a physical therapist, occupational therapist, physical medicine specialist, massage therapist, or a podiatrist. I really enjoyed the opportunity to observe and learn about physical therapy in two different clinics.

Conclusion

Clearly both clinics have different approaches to patient care with one being more holistic than the other. However at both clinics, physical therapists told me that every physical therapist has a different approach to treating the same injury which provides a sounding board for ideas and collaboration to find the best method of care. Regardless of the type of clinic, clinicians need to take social determinants into account in order to provide the best care for each patient. I think implementing public health practices into physical therapy's best practices is relatively new, however, its effects are noticeable. Studies shown patient demographics generally match that of the region in regards to gender, age, and race (Hicks, 2004). This supports the continued need for a broad professional physical therapy education curriculum that includes public health efforts. Having this experience really taught me the importance of interprofessional care as well as how public health efforts can impact quality of care. Watching patients build relationships with their care provider really opened my eyes to the importance of public health in serving your community even as a physical therapist.

References

Gardner, K. (n.d.). The Public Policy Priorities of the American Physical Therapy Association, 2019-2020. Retrieved from http://www.apta.org/FederalIssues/PublicPolicyPriorities/

Hicks, Ramona, et al. “Demographics of Physical Therapy Practice: Implications for Education.” Journal of Physical Therapy Education, vol. 18, no. 2, 2004, pp. 80–86., doi:10.1097/00001416-200407000-00011.

Huynh, D. (n.d.). About Physical Therapist (PT) Careers. Retrieved April 28, 2020, from https://www.apta.org/PTCareers/Overview/

Physical Medicine and Aquatic Center in St Paul, MN. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.impactphysicalmedicine.com/

TRIA Orthopedics. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://tria.com/