Physical Therapist Assistant Overview - Preparation - Day In The Life - Earnings - Employment - Career Path Forecast - Professional Organizations - Overview PDF - Overview PowerPoint - Overview Podcast

Physical therapist assistants help physical therapists to provide treatment that improves patient mobility, relieves pain, and prevents or lessens physical disabilities of patients.

A physical therapist might ask an assistant to help patients exercise or learn to use crutches, for example, or an aide to gather and prepare therapy equipment.

Patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as lower-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy.

Physical therapist assistants perform a variety of tasks. Under the direction and supervision of physical therapists, they provide part of a patient's treatment. This might involve exercises, massages, electrical stimulation, paraffin baths, hot and cold packs, traction, and ultrasound. Physical therapist assistants record the patient's responses to treatment and report the outcome of each treatment to the physical therapist. The extent to which an assistant performs clerical tasks depends on the size and location of the facility.

Physical Therapist Assistant Resources
Online	Downloads
Overview: Overview of the work of Physical Therapist Assistants
Preparation: Programs, Degree Fields
Day in the Life: Specialty Areas, the Workplace
Earnings: Salary Ranges
Employment: Statistics, Employment Options
Career Path Forecast: Predictions for Physical Therapist Assistants
Professional Organizations: Resources, Networking, Support
Podcast: Overview of the work of Physical Therapist Assistants
Internet Resources: American Physical Therapy Association APTA Student Assembly APTA - PTA Resources

Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.