Physical Therapists Go Back to List Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.

Technology used in this occupation:
	Medical software

Tasks
	Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
	Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
	Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
	Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
	Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
	Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
	Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.
	Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
	Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
	Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.

Skills
	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
	Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
	Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
	Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Knowledge
	Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
	Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
	Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
	Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
	Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
	English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
	Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
	Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
	Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
	Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

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Education & Training   Education:   Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).   Related Experience:   Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

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Wage Information
	Region Average Entry Level  Mid-Range  Annual  Hourly  Statewide $107,914.00 $51.88  $39.45  $42.30 - $54.47  Bridgeport/Stamford $114,539.00 $55.07  $40.68  $47.95 - $59.72  Danbury $107,966.00 $51.91  $39.35  $42.99 - $52.34  Hartford $105,287.00 $50.61  $39.83  $43.35 - $53.17  New Haven $105,380.00 $50.67  $39.01  $40.47 - $54.01  New London/Norwich $108,049.00 $51.95  $40.13  $42.43 - $54.08  Waterbury $108,350.00 $52.10  $40.49  $44.35 - $54.04  Torrington $100,074.00 $48.11  $34.59  $37.60 - $52.43

Occupation Outlook ( 2016 - 2026 ) Average Annual Job Openings:   220   Employment in this occupation is expected to grow faster than average, and the number of annual openings will offer very good job opportunities.

Related Occupations
	Occupational Therapists
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	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

	Some of the occupational information on this page is formulated from O*NETTM v17.0 data. O*NETTM is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.