Physical Therapist Specialty Practice Areas-Resource list

Started by Elbrus
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Elbrus

Elbrus

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Useful discussions and resources

These forum discussions and resources can help you find a starting point. Older threads show past experiences and may not reflect current requirements.

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Find current professional groups

For APTA's current sections, academies, chapters, and special interest groups, start here: https://www.apta.org/apta-and-you/chapters-sections-academies

The older list below covers practice settings and professional interests. Being listed here does not mean an area is a board-certified specialty or that a course or organization grants permission to practice. Check current information with the relevant professional group, training provider, and regulator. Some resources require membership or payment.

If suggesting a resource, include its name, who it is for, a direct link, and whether access is free or restricted. Please point out a moved or unavailable link so the list can be maintained.

Earlier information shared by members

Acute Care/Critical Care (ICU)
Animal Rehabilitation
Aquatic
Craniofacial
Cardiopulmonary
Education
Emergency/Urgent Care
Federal
Health Policy & Administration
Geriatric
Neurology
Spinal Cord Injury​
Stroke​
Brain injury​
Degenerative diseases (ALS, MS, PD, etc.)​

Oncology
Hospice & Palliative care:​

Orthopaedic
Occupational Health​
Hand​
Foot & Ankle​
Performing Arts​
Pain Management​
Manual Therapy​

Prevention
Pediatric

Primary Care
Private Practice
Research
Sports

(Most of the following sports organizations require membership to view)
Vestibular/Balance

· http://www.neuropt.org/index.cfm?objectid=95F4846F-E1B4-9807-640A5A93383FD3C6

· Balance & Falls SIG

Women’s Health / Pelvic Health PT
Wound/Burn Unit/Electrophysiology
General reference:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for starting such a great post. I'm constantly searching for information regarding PTs in the NICU, my personal interest, and it seems to be so hard to find. I'm glad you started something that people will hopefully continue adding to.
 
Elbrus said:
Am I missing any big categories??
Click to expand...

Do you think myofascial therapy could be included in the list? In particular, the John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach. I believe there are other methods but I'm not familiar with them. I'm not in rehab medicine, but several of my DPT and OTD colleagues practice Myofascial Release and Craniosacral Therapy. I've had direct benefits from it personally. Thanks!
 
Mel08,
Thank you for the request. While I have no doubt these "therapies" have helped many people, however John F. Barnes MFR and craniosacral rx is considered quite controversial, falling into a CAM treatment rather than scientific/mainstream physical therapy. There are also strong beliefs that these 'treatments' undermine the profession, making me hesitant as a trained scientist and clinician to post them with legitimately accepted practice areas. For some background on how heated debates are on these forms of practice, a very lengthy & heated discussion can be found on the EIM blog.

I do not intend to be a dictator on the subject, but I also have an professional & personal interest in the PT practice. Other thoughts?
 
Thanks, Elbrus! As a relative outsider to the world of PT, it's always fascinating to learn about how particular therapies are viewed by those who are insiders.

It also makes me consider potential discrepancies between how I as a doc view treatments and how my patients view them. Patients may view something as their own panacea. Meanwhile, the advancement of medicine has risen to the point that practitioners have a far more extensive knowledge base than ever before; thus, a healthy level of doubt is the prevalent foundation upon which clinical decisions are made.

It's always strange to cross over to the other side. My experiences as a patient have certainly altered my practice. It made me more accepting of things that I would have never considered and distrustful of several aspects of modern medicine about which I previously would not have thought twice.

I appreciate the link, Elbrus, and everything that you and your colleagues do to help patients in the most professional way! Thanks again.
 
Dear
I m PTA and now i am doing a job so that it is impossible for to go in a university to do continue study on DPT, so if some of u can give me an information that where i can do study DPT by on line.

Thanks
Jhon
 
Jhon said:
Dear
I m PTA and now i am doing a job so that it is impossible for to go in a university to do continue study on DPT, so if some of u can give me an information that where i can do study DPT by on line.

Thanks
Jhon
Click to expand...

this is not possible. you would have to already be a licensed PT to do online DPT coursework.
 
Bad0 Fish0 said:
this is not possible. you would have to already be a licensed PT to do online DPT coursework.
Click to expand...

Actually, the university of st. augustine (USA) offers an online DPT program for those WITHOUT a license already.

There is SOME hands-on work though (mostly labs) which are located in boca raton, fl.

However, USA is expanding and maybe they have other locations for these "labs" which are ONLY on weekends.
 
Hi, your topic mentions also dealing with meno while having other physical disorders, can this include Lupus or any other physical issues?
 
Updated resource list. (To save you time searching, emergency care was added--a truly fantastic but certainly non-traditional practice venue for PTs.)
 
Back again after a looooong time away. Here is a reply to the last question posted above.

I cannot speak to how 'in demand' wound specialists are for PT, but our facility has a very busy wound care clinic staffed by only PTs. I'm sure stats on this are available somewhere, I'd probably start the search with the wound care section of the APTA to find out more.

As for EDPT, it too is quietly gaining popularity. Similar conditions encountered in OPPT practices, but often higher ranges of severity & irritability. Most people (falsely) assume it is all about PTs doing crutch training for people with ankle sprains, car accidents, and assisting in determining placement for people with generalized weakness. In reality, it is so much more. Here is a more recent resource list for this area of practice: http://www.apta.org/EmergencyDepartment/
 
Elbrus said:
Back again after a looooong time away. Here is a reply to the last question posted above.

I cannot speak to how 'in demand' wound specialists are for PT, but our facility has a very busy wound care clinic staffed by only PTs. I'm sure stats on this are available somewhere, I'd probably start the search with the wound care section of the APTA to find out more.

As for EDPT, it too is quietly gaining popularity. Similar conditions encountered in OPPT practices, but often higher ranges of severity & irritability. Most people (falsely) assume it is all about PTs doing crutch training for people with ankle sprains, car accidents, and assisting in determining placement for people with generalized weakness. In reality, it is so much more. Here is a more recent resource list for this area of practice: http://www.apta.org/EmergencyDepartment/
Click to expand...

sounds good..any info on the salary front for wound and emergency/urgent care PTs?

btw do we have to do residencies to work in the urgent care, ED, wound care?

also cant see the ppt slides need to be a member in the link u posted
 
Thanks for sharing such an informative post. I am a professional internal medicine doctor lake wales and I really like the way you combine all the information into a single post. Good job.
 
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