Physical Therapy vs. Recreational Therapy

[furiousgeorge34]

Hi, I just recently graduated undergrad with a degree in Neuroscience and enjoyed it very much. I am trying to decide what to do now as a future profession. I have shadowed many physical therapists and was very excited about this as a profession but after getting a job with an adaptive recreational sports program I am having second thoughts. I really like this field and was hoping someone could give me some insight on what the main differences are between Physical Therapy and Recreational Therapy and what you can do with these different degrees.

I am very interested in neuroscience and fitness and very passionate about the therapy process to get people back on their feet doing the things they love which is why I was looking at doing PT and possibly focusing on the neuro side of things. I really like the idea of doing recreational activities as part of rehab though instead of staying inside and using gym equipment which not everyone enjoys and isn't quite as applicable to real life situations or goals.

Ultimately I think I would like to do PT but am wondering if their are many clinics that use recreation as the sole means of rehab or if it is possible to combine my passions of PT and recreational sports. Again what are the differences between these two degrees and what can you do (what kind of specialties can you get) with each?

Any help on this would be highly appreciate!

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[jblil]

I don't think Medicare covers recreational therapy activities. This would cut out a big chunk of the market and you'll probably find few clinics that use RT as a mainstay.

 

[starrsgirl]

Have you considered OT as well? From the few interests you have shared, that field may also be a good fit for you. From my experience, it seems like the OTs have a bit more flexibility incorporating recreation into therapy.

From what I understand, recreational therapy doesn't take much more school than you have now. You can get a certificate in it with a few more courses (a lady that spoke to us did not have a specific degree in it). You are expected to set up recreational opportunities and support from the social/educational side but it's not "rehabilitation" per se on the physiologic level. The recreational rehab contact we know through our school organizes and runs the community events. She sets up sports leagues, gets participants, is always on the hunt for new opportunities to try. She also works a lot in the hospitals providing education and information to patients especially as they get close to discharge or settle into a long term living situation. She does a ton of community outreach, making connections, promoting awareness and looking for volunteers. She loves her job. I did look up some pay scales online when she came to talk and got some figures in the $40K range. (no idea on the validity there. All the above info was my take on what a guest speaker shared.)

Why not work as a recreational therapist now for a few years? It would be fantastic experience either way. If it's a great fit, stay. If not, you can easily go onto PT school with a lot of carryover.

My take on physical therapy and the differences.... you will generally be working with just 1 patient at a time in physical therapy (versus the group in recreational therapy). You have a stronger medical focus on rehab whereas the recreational therapist was most concerned with the social fit (finding your place in community...developing hobbies). Physical therapy requires a TON more schooling and debt, but possibly your salary range is higher. It will vary based on your patient population how much a physical therapist is involved in community recreation. For example, my next clinical has a neuro developmental focus and serves individuals with disabilities from birth to old age. I am expected to know about community resources to help recommend or provide info to my patients.

 

[furiousgeorge34]

Thanks for your replies, they are very helpful! So I guess regarding the medicare aspect for PT, even if a modified recreational activity would be "prescribed" as rehab for a physiological problem it wouldn't be covered? I'm just confused why that would be any different than using a machine or gym equipment when the motion and rehab is essentially the same thing only taking place in a different setting.

Going off that are there any settings or types of organizations where PTs and RTs work closely together to create rehab programs that may utilize the benefits of both professions? If not is there any reason they don't? Is there any factor not letting them such as insurance as is the case for PT? I'm just trying to combine my interests of adaptive sports and recreation and the physiological rehabilitation of Physical Therapy the best I can. Any more input would be great!

Also regarding the OT option or doing Rec therapy for a while before grad school I do like that option and had already considered it although it would probably take another year working under someone with a CTRS and an exam to get certified. I've researched it a little and it says that they help improve physical, cognitive, emotional and social aspects of people's lives while incorporating their interests. I guess I'm still unsure of how involved a RT might be in the physiological rehab process. I really like the adaptive recreational sports but am looking for a little more of a challenge and a deeper role in the physical rehab process by satisfying my interest in physiology and the medical side of things. I guess a PT can always provide rehab and exercise in the ordinary fashion then give information about recreational therapy and how they could continue the rehab process by exploring their interests but ideally I would be more involved in incorporating their interests into their rehab process.

 

[starrsgirl]

From what I observed in inpatient setting, the OTs were able to incorporate *some recreational activity better than the PTs could. For instance, 1 patient liked to fish, so they used a mock fishing pole to work on balance and upper extremity strength. I suppose if I could say that basketball would improve my patients' strength and balance than *maybe* I could prescribe it. As in, maybe we could do some dribbling and shooting in the clinic. But I can't think of anyway we could ever play a full game of basketball or leave the clinic setting to do that and charge for it. It's just not specific enough. You can't bill for an hour long recreational activity because it's unlikely the patient is doing specific work for every minute of that hour. It also doesn't require any skilled therapist leading it. That's really what the billing is for. Recreational activities don't take any special skill to run them. Sure, you can get advanced certifications, but many unskilled volunteers help in these activities. They don't need to pay a doctor to be there.

If I were you, I would do some OT shadowing (and more RT and PT). Try to get into some different settings for more exposure.