Misinterpretations

After seeing physical therapist for merely a week, a person goes from not being able to walk a single centimeter to being able to run in a marathon. Have you ever heard a similar story to this? In our society today, there are many assumptions and ideas that are communicated about physical therapy that are not necessarily true. Often times, the title of physical therapy is misinterpreted. People view physical therapy as an easy, informal career path. Television and magazine articles are major contributors to the connotations associated with physical therapy. Through various means of communication, the true meaning of the physical therapy title is transforming and becoming misunderstood.

            There are many assumptions built around the title, “physical therapy”. When thinking about what a physical therapist does a person can simply looks at the name. Teachers, parents, and friends have communicated the meanings of these two simple words to us throughout our lives. Because of this, we understand that the word “physical” relates to the body, and the word “therapy” relates to treating or healing a disorder. By putting these two words together, we create a simple definition of the title: the healing of a person’s physical disorder. However, after strenuous researching, I have learned that the definition is much more intricate and complex than this. The Medical Dictionary defines physical therapy as, “A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises and equipment to help patients regain or improve their physical abilities” (“Physical Therapy Definition” Para 1). Physical therapy is a very challenging field. A physical therapist’s career requires years of intense training and education. Michael Maves describes, “On a daily basis, physical therapists have many patients to see, hours of paper work to complete, and various phone calls to make” (370). This shows that even after graduating and finding a job, life as a physical therapist does not become easier.

Magazine articles and television shows are large contributors to the false messages that people begin to believe about physical therapy.  Think about how a sports channel promotes physical therapy. If an athlete encounters an accident and becomes injured, often times he will need to see a physical therapist. In just a few short weeks we see that athlete back on the field and running around again. Since the athlete was back on their feet so fast, we begin to assume that a physical therapist’s job is uncomplicated and effortless. This is not true; several ideas, practices, and exercises went into strengthening and preparing this athlete to play again. Many people also begin to assume that athletes are the only type of person that a physical therapist helps and treats. I have learned that physical therapists help a wide range of people. Whether it is an infant who cannot walk or an older man who recently was in a car accident, physical therapists are ready to come to the rescue. There are also numerous articles that I have come across as I created this blog that described all of the luxuries of physical therapy but failed to mention the other procedures. For instance, Dr. Saul Wischneitzerer explains how the career opportunities for this physical therapy are highly favorable, and that on average a physical therapist can make from $60,000 to $88,000 per year (354). This article did not talk about how they have to work very hard to have a favorable salary. They have paper work to fill out and patient reports to file before they can leave the office. A day as a physical therapist quickly becomes tiring and arduous.

We can also see the ideas being altered when people communicate on a day-to-day basis. For example, there are two high school friends who are on the same soccer team casually holding a conversation. One of the friends has an injury and is currently seeing a physical therapist, and the other friend asks how their physical therapy recovery is coming along. The injured friend responds to this by saying it is a really hard, vigorous, and painful process. This is a typical view of physical therapy. This is one of the many reasons many people are afraid to see a physical therapist. People then begin to associate physical therapists as intense, mean, and powerful coaches. Through verbal communication, there are many people who see a physical therapist’s job as an easy task. They think that all they do is stretch their patients’ bodies. They do much more than that. They promote wellness, healthy lifestyles, and also teach people ways to prevent injuries and loss of movement.

Throughout this semester, I have learned that a physical therapist job is not as easy as many people think it’s set out to be. The career path requires many years of challenging education, clinical practice, and training. They have to be organized in order to file patient reports. They also have to be able to plan, conduct, and evaluate various physical therapy programs. Overall, physical therapists can be, in a sense, viewed as heroes. They are not just here to stretch a person’s leg, but rather they are here to help someone, who could not walk since a car accident, take their first steps.

Works Cited

"Physical Therapy Definition." Medterms. Medical Dictionary, 18 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11885>.

Maves, Michael. Health Care Careers Directory, 2011-2012. 39th ed. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, 2011. Print.

Wischnitzer, Saul. Top 100 Health-care Careers: Your Complete Guidebook to Training and Jobs in Allied Health, Nursing, Medicine, and More. 3rd ed. Indianapolis, IN: JIST Pub., 2011.