Help! Cutting Edge Areas of Physical Therapy?

[Chevy Chase Fan]

I respect PT and the people in it, but I'm starting to think the profession is more about being a motivator than anything else. While I want to help people, I've come to really enjoy science, and would prefer to be involved in a more complex aspect of PT than what I see with standard PTs. I've only worked in one inpatient setting, so its not fair to generalize, but I really don't enjoy the repetitiveness of it. I find myself incredibly bored with it.

This is probably pretty dorky, but I envisioned therapists looking at peoples' movement patterns on fancy computers and using that information to come up with cutting edge solutions to their problems (as opposed to 3 sets of 10 of internal rotations....but standing on one leg!). What it comes down to is if I'm going to school for 3 years and putting myself in 6 figure debt, I want my job to require all those high level skills I'm supposed to learn. When I see rehab techs with no PT schooling conducting sessions for therapists, I find myself scratching my head and wondering what the point of even going to school for this is.

So, are there any complex jobs in PT? I want something where I have interesting problems to try to solve, and can use technology and specialized skills to find new ways to solve them. Bionics was mentioned not long ago, and I find that interesting, so are there any other aspects of PT like that?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[MinnDasota]

I respect PT and the people in it, but I'm starting to think the profession is more about being a motivator than anything else. While I want to help people, I've come to really enjoy science, and would prefer to be involved in a more complex aspect of PT than what I see with standard PTs. I've only worked in one inpatient setting, so its not fair to generalize, but I really don't enjoy the repetitiveness of it. I find myself incredibly bored with it.

This is probably pretty dorky, but I envisioned therapists looking at peoples' movement patterns on fancy computers and using that information to come up with cutting edge solutions to their problems (as opposed to 3 sets of 10 of internal rotations....but standing on one leg!). What it comes down to is if I'm going to school for 3 years and putting myself in 6 figure debt, I want my job to require all those high level skills I'm supposed to learn. When I see rehab techs with no PT schooling conducting sessions for therapists, I find myself scratching my head and wondering what the point of even going to school for this is.

So, are there any complex jobs in PT? I want something where I have interesting problems to try to solve, and can use technology and specialized skills to find new ways to solve them. Bionics was mentioned not long ago, and I find that interesting, so are there any other aspects of PT like that?

Bionics, yes. Spinal cord injuries and Traumatic brain injuries tend to use some high tech equipment. In sports/orthopedics, we use the AlterG (anti-gravity treadmill), dartfish video analysis, underwater treadmills, cybex isokinetic machines, etc. Not as intricate as bionics, but more tangible to the general population and much more affordable to PT practices.

My suggestion to you is when you get the opportunity, score some good clinicals in neuro (SCI, TBI, post stroke), especially in facilities involved in research. This sounds like your bag of tea. Another option is PT in the military as they seem to have some of what you are looking for.

Try not to judge PT from inpatient experiences. Remember, you have to know the blahs of PT as much as the exciting cutting edge stuff in order to be the PT you want to be.

 

[truthseeker]

I work in a rural hospital setting and see everything from the incredibly mundane little old man who fell because he pushed too hard when he last pooped, to the cerebellar stroke who thinks his center of gravity is 4 inches to the left of where it really is, to the high school kid with a torn ACL, to the chronic back pain patient, to the schizophrenic with pain everywhere, real and imagined.

I am not sure what you mean by cutting edge. If you are talking about technology then you can find practices that use any number of devices and pieces of equipment to help with their rehab. Some use digitization to study gait or throwing mechanics, or do clinical research. Most don't. But the good , and I mean the really good ones, use the most powerful computer to separate the important from the unimportant.

Of course I am talking about the computer between your ears. The way I see it, I use my knowledge and experience to get to the root of someone's problem and treat the cause. It doesn't require multiple visits. I evaluate, teach the patient and follow up periodically with them to progress to the next level of difficulty depending upon what their goals are. You don't need fancy gizmos to make it "cutting edge", in fact, I would say that you get artificial information that may be totally superflous but it looks cool.

Bionics, sure, that's different (very small population, must live in giant city and work in a place that does not need to be paid by the patient etc . . .)but for day to day PT, there is plenty to stimulate your brain if you actually engage.

Why would you have someone come into your office to watch them do 3 sets of 10 internal rotation reps? Is that skilled? No. Have them do it at home so you can see another evaluation. We don't employ a PTA except to cover nursing home visits precisely because that is repetitive and what we do at the hospital especially in the OP area is NOT repetitive.

 

[rcheeley]

Simple solution, get out and see more! Different settings, different locations, etc.