Benefits of Being a Physiotherapist
Looking for a rewarding job in healthcare? Do you enjoy helping people and changing their lives for the better? If so, physiotherapy might be the answer to your needs. This profession has gained huge popularity over the past years, offering plenty of career opportunities. Once you obtain a physiotherapy degree, you can work in sports medicine, occupational health, musculoskeletal physiotherapy, or pediatrics. Physiotherapists can specialise in particular areas and build a career that brings them joy and personal satisfaction.
What Does a Physiotherapist Do?
As a physiotherapist, you will assess, prevent, and treat various disorders, from sports injuries to cardiorespiratory problems. All people can benefit from physiotherapy sooner or later. If you embrace this career, you can use your skills and knowledge to help those in need. Your responsibilities may include treating musculoskeletal disorders, managing pain, or giving advice on how to prevent injuries. Depending on your purpose, you can specialize in one or more of the following areas:
- Orthopedic conditions
- Cancer and palliative care
- Cardiorespiratory problems
- Pregnancy and post partum care
- Acupuncture and dry needling
- Sports-related injuries
- Chronic pain
- Occupational health and safety
- Neurology
- Elderly care
- Women’s health
Physiotherapists use exercise, manual therapy, mobility aids, hydrotherapy, and other techniques as part of their treatment plan. For instance, massage helps relieve pain, reduces stress, and speeds up healing from injuries. Manual therapy restores joint mobility. It also stimulates the lymphatic system and reduces stiffness.
As a Physiotherapist, you will recommend exercises that help increase joint flexibility and range of motion. Those who work in this niche also teach people how to prevent falls, use good lifting form, and manage chronic orthopedic conditions. Your purpose in this role is to improve a person’s quality of life. In some cases, you may need to treat men or women suffering from pelvic floor disorders, children who’ve been pushed too far on the sports field, or disabled patients.
Physiotherapy courses are widely available in Australia at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Latrobe University, Melbourne University, Charles Sturt University, Monash University, and Curtin University are just a few of the institutions offering these courses. Depending on your career path, it can take four to six years to become a fully qualified physiotherapist. After obtaining your degree, you can either work in the public or private sector.
What Does a Physiotherapy Session Look Like?
Physiotherapists can perform their duties in a variety of environments, including schools, community health centers, private and public hospitals, gyms, and rehab facilities. Some work with elite athletes and sports teams. Others help older adults restore their mobility and cope with age-related disorders. No two days are the same in the life of a physiotherapist. You may be required to re-train patients to walk, help them recover from stroke, or work with children suffering from cerebral palsy and other conditions.
A typical physiotherapy session may involve assessing the patient’s needs and overall health, developing a treatment plan, and working with clients to set and attain goals. You will need to prescribe mobility aids and exercises, support people in returning to work, or help them prepare for surgery. Physiotherapists also work with pregnant women and premature babies as well as with patients recovering from surgery.
Many types of pain and injuries are caused by underlying conditions, such as muscular imbalances, arthritis, gout, bad posture, or fibromyalgia. As a physiotherapist, you will have to find the root cause of the problem and come up with a treatment plan. This holistic approach helps reduce injury risk and prevent complications. Some physiotherapists are expanding their scope to offer dry needling, spinal manipulation or Pilates classes. The choice is up to you.
Physiotherapy – A Rewarding Career
This profession offers various job opportunities in Australia and abroad. It requires strong interpersonal skills, dedication, and patience, so it may not be for everyone. The modern society is facing a tremendous challenge of disablement. As a physiotherapist, it’s easy to find work. Before choosing this career path, assess your options to make sure it’s right for you. Be aware that field experience is required for most jobs.
This profession is all about working side-by-side with people to address musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and respiratory problems. The key to a successful career is to choose a field that interests you the most. Work on developing your socio-cultural and communication skills, engage in extra-curricular activities, and build meaningful connections.
Just like everything else, physiotherapy comes with its challenges. This isn’t your typical 9-to-5 job. There will be days when you need to work long hours, handle a ton of paperwork, and deal with clients who are late for their appointments. You also need to stay in good shape since you may be required to lift patients into and out of wheelchairs and other mobility aids or offer manual therapy as part of your treatment plans. However, the benefits of pursuing this career outweigh the drawbacks. The demand for physical therapists is on the rise worldwide. If you’re good at what you do, you’ll never be out of work.
As a physiotherapist, it’s in your power to help people make positive changes to their lifestyles and health. You will work with people who are struggling with poor quality of life, so it’s virtually impossible to get bored and lack satisfaction in your job. Additionally, there’s a wide range of employment opportunities. This career also gives you a chance to learn something new every day and expand your skills. Later, you can move into teaching or research.