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About Rehabilitation Therapy

Rehabilitation Therapists work with patients of all ages in a wide range of health-restoring capacities.

Who is a Rehabilitation Therapist? 

Hold on to something. This is where it gets serious (and, interesting).

A career in Rehabilitation Therapy is challenging, yet fulfilling (to say the least).

From simple movement following an injury to the more complex stages of recovery from a disability, degenerative disorder, illness or surgery, Rehabilitation Therapists assist people to get better and up in their life!

In all the other ‘Offbeat’ careers that you have read about till now, this is where you are interacting with all kinds of people. But what’s different?

You are assisting a person recover mentally, and physically as well.

“Until I went to Rehab, I didn’t know what it did” - Aaron Neville, Hollywood Star and R&B Artist.

Every career has a purpose, and Rehabilitation Therapy is to return people better than they came in. Helping them towards self-sufficiency and productivity.

As a Therapist, you would be working with doctors and other medical professionals in diagnosing and identifying problems. You would also be creating plans for the treatments, carrying out the designed therapies to restore the patient's health and quality of life.

Add a short intro after this. Talk about how most usually focus on diagnosis and treatment but not much on what happens after that. How someone with trauma, physical or mental, and long-term illness fits back into normal life after the treatment is done. That's where rehabilitation therapists come in...something along these lines

Related Departments

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Top Colleges

To become a Physical Therapist, you will have to opt for a Bachelor’s in Physical Therapy. Post which, a Master’s degree can be opted for in a particular specialisation.

India

Duration: 4 years.

Fee per course/annum: Rs.5 - Rs.8 Lakh Per Annum

USA

Duration: 3 - 4 Years

Fee per course/annum: Rs.20 - Rs.40 Lakh Per Annum

UK

Duration: 4 Years

Fee per course/annum: Rs.20 - Rs.30 Lakh Per Annum

Canada

Duration: 4 Years

Fee per course/annum: Rs.20 - Rs.23 Lakh Per Annum

Career Prospects

Physical Therapist

From a simple movement following an injury to more complex stages of recovery, a Physical Therapist is there through it all! 

They are trained to work with people of all ages and help them through disability, degenerative disorder, illness or surgery. 

As a therapist, you will work with doctors and other medical professionals in diagnosing and identifying problems, creating plans of treatment and carrying out the therapies designed to help restore the patient's health and quality of life. Treatments cover the entirety of patient recovery, to include areas such as strength, mobility, cognition, reasoning, perception and emotion. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) estimated that this career would experience an 18% employment increase from 2019-2029, which is much faster than average. The BLS also noted that the median annual income for this career was $89,440 in May 2019. 

Physical Therapy Assistants 

As an assistant to a physical assistant, you will work with licensed physical therapists and play a key role in the process of a person’s rehabilitation. 

As an assistant, you will be helping with exercises, medical equipment, record-keeping, instructions and assisting with interaction with other patients.

According to sources, there would be a 33% employment increase in the next 10 years for this job.

Physical Therapy Aides

As we go deeper into the people involved in the journey of rehab, we meet the physical therapist aide, who is responsible for seeing to the organization, preparation and cleanliness of a treatment area.

Aides work under the supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant, and are usually trained on the job. You can assist patients in movement and development, however, you will not be involved in performing clinical tasks.

Occupational Therapy

Did you know that your daily routine can work as therapy?

This is what an Occupational therapist does.

Being an Occupational Therapist means helping patients return to daily living and working routines following disabling health conditions.

Be it a temporary illness or a permanent loss, occupational therapy can range from simple personal and household routines to more complex tasks and issues.

As an occupational therapist, you will work with patients in helping them get back their reasoning skills, cognitive skills and perception. Apart from this, you will also help them in adaptive equipment (feeding, bathing, etc.) and readjusting to employment.

Speech-Language Therapy

King George IV. Winston Churchill. Bruce Willis. Michael Phelps. Nicole Kidman 

What do they all have in common? 

They all suffer some form of a speech impediment.

This is where speech-language therapists come in. A Speech-language therapist treats people with disorders relating to sound, speech or swallowing.

Some of the commonly faced issues include:

  • Stuttering
  • Voice or language disorders
  • Developmental issues
  • Cleft palate
  • Hearing loss
  • Mental or emotional difficulties

A speech language therapist analyzes, diagnoses and plans treatments that can include different kinds of equipment, therapies or languages. Additional responsibilities include research, record-keeping and consultations with family members and other professionals.

Recreational Therapy

From accidents, to illnesses, and disabilities, a rehabilitation therapist provides different kinds of treatments for people who are recovering from either.

What do these treatments include?

  • Games
  • Sports
  • Dance
  • Crafts
  • Music
  • Outings

Through these techniques, recreational therapists work with patients who are trying to recover from difficulties in various areas. These areas include motor functioning, reasoning ability, confidence-building, stress, depression, addiction, anxiety or socialization.

Working with other professionals, the therapist assists the patient in returning to a life of better health, greater independence and improved interaction socially.

Respiratory Therapy

Hritik Roshan had once famously said, “Just keep breathing”.

But what if I have a breathing problem? You call a Respiratory therapist!

A respiratory therapist works with people of all ages with breathing issues that they may be facing.

The respiratory therapist helps to evaluate, treat and rehabilitate patients suffering from or trying to recover from various disorders. These can include:

  • Asthma
  • Emphysema
  • Stroke
  • Heart ailments
  • Shock
  • Lung disease
  • Smoking addiction
  • Sleep apnea

Respiratory therapy is complex. Therapists must be able to use informed independent judgement, particularly with patients who are in more serious conditions. Under the direction of a physician, respiratory therapists help people overcome and recover from these conditions.

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Jobs & Salary

Rehabilitation Therapists have a wide job scope in India and abroad.

From special schools, to mental health centres, residential care facilities, and sports teams. As a Rehabilitation Therapist, you can also choose NGOs working for rehabilitation of children, elderly people and disabled.

When it comes to the salary, Rehabilitation Therapists in India have an average salary of Rs.4 to Rs.5 Lakh Per Annum. However, with higher experience and knowledge, rehabilitation therapists earn much more in India and other countries.

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • High average pay
  • High demand
  • Different work environments
  • Job satisfaction
Cons
  • Extensive education
  • Demanding work schedules

Timeline

1884 The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy founded by 4 British Nurses.

1913 New Zealand and Portland get the first universities that taught Physical Therapy.

1950 Practice of Manipulative therapy begins for spine and joint problems.

1974 Physical Therapy and Orthopedics introduced as a specialisation for Doctors.

1980 Computers introduced in Physiotherapy.

2008 - 2011 Machines such as ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR created for patient rehabilitation.

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