Thought on Yoga Therapy

[nik756]

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Hello!

I am currently a graduate student in the process of making a decision of whether or not to apply to PT school. I am not as interested in the traditional physical therapy techniques as I am in a holistic approach to injury prevention and rehab in athletics, which is why the field of yoga therapy is so intriguing to me. I do realize that there is a lot of hesitation in the healthcare field regarding the lack of an official certification system in the field, which is why I am split on whether or not to try and go to PT school. On the one hand, I know that PT school would deepen my knowledge of the human body and give me valuable tools that I could apply to yoga therapy, but on the other hand I do not know if the money and time devoted to school would be worth it if I don't have the intention of going into traditional physical therapy.

Just wanted to hear some thoughts from people on this forum on experiences with the field and whether or not PT school would be right for me.

Thanks!

 

[noyceguy]

Hello!

I am currently a graduate student in the process of making a decision of whether or not to apply to PT school. I am not as interested in the traditional physical therapy techniques as I am in a holistic approach to injury prevention and rehab in athletics, which is why the field of yoga therapy is so intriguing to me. I do realize that there is a lot of hesitation in the healthcare field regarding the lack of an official certification system in the field, which is why I am split on whether or not to try and go to PT school. On the one hand, I know that PT school would deepen my knowledge of the human body and give me valuable tools that I could apply to yoga therapy, but on the other hand I do not know if the money and time devoted to school would be worth it if I don't have the intention of going into traditional physical therapy.

Just wanted to hear some thoughts from people on this forum on experiences with the field and whether or not PT school would be right for me.

Thanks!

Definitely do not go to PT school.

 

[AlanWattsBlues]

Well, I don't think my advice is going to be as cut and dried as Noyceguy's. I have a couple observations and a question. The first observation:

It seems to me that a great deal of the therex that gets prescribed could be viewed as some variation of movement in yoga. I'm not saying one is derived from the other, just that there are only so many good ways to move the body. The skill of PT seems to often involve identifying the small subset of movements that would give a person the most bang for the buck when it comes to advancing toward their functional goals. Embedded in this is having the ability to regress and progress a movement based on someone's ability. So PT school might not be such a bad fit given your interests.

Observation #2:
A great deal of PT school has very little to do with the kind of folks that you could "PT Yoga" with. You'd be licensed as a generalist which means that you have to get prepared to deal with a range of populations: pediatric/geriatric/neuro/acute care. You may find that you have absolutely no interest in this, which will make a great deal of school a drag.

And here's my question: What image do you have in your mind when you think of "traditional physical therapy"?

The profession has been evolving at a pretty quick pace as far as I can tell. My professors blush when they talk about what they did back in the 90's (and hang their heads in shame when they think about the 80's). Your image of "traditional physical therapy" may be at odds with where the profession is actually going (which seems to be a place that involves a greater appreciation of regional interdependence of movement and the complex way that pain is perceived).

Also, PT school is super expensive, but you can actually get a job once you graduate. Getting certified in some CAM domain might be a more direct way to your specific goal, but it might also leave you stranded on the back end where it's hard to gain substantial employment.

SIDE NOTE: It gets competitive out there. So whatever you do, don't tell your interviewers that you want to go to PT school so that you can do Yoga therapy. Might be better to frame it as "I love yoga and am fascinated by how the body moves and adapts. PT is a broad field and I'd like to discover my niche in it by getting exposed to all facets of the profession. Also I LOVE EVIDENCE and reading journal articles!"

 

[noyceguy]

Definitely do not go to PT school.

Let me clarify. Go to PT school only if you want to practice physical therapy. If you want to practice yoga therapy, go do that somewhere else.

 

[jblil]

some CAM domain
What is CAM?

OP - don't go to PT school.

 

[AlanWattsBlues]

some CAM domain
What is CAM?

OP - don't go to PT school.

"Complementary and Alternative Medicine". Something I'd want to stay away from professionally if I could help it, which is why I can see an argument being made for PT school. I can imagine a PT working with people through a a framework derived from yoga and still adhering to interventions that are defensible. But you're probably not going to find a job opening for this, which means starting your own practice eventually. And then being a PT carries with it many responsibilities that you may not want to deal with (documentation being just one of them).

OP: It seems I remain less convinced than my peers. Here's my advice: Find someone who is a physical therapist and is doing exactly what you want to do. Talk with them, shadow them, get their take on your situation. If you can't find such a person, then yeah, you should probably stay away from PT school.

 

[callmecrazy]

You said you're a graduate student now. What are you studying?
And are you already a yoga instructor?

 

[goyo1010]

I'd have to agree with AlanWattsBlues. There are a lot of individuals who go to PT school, become a PT, get a PT license, practice PT, AND integrate CAM into their practices. However, like noyceguy said, if you go to PT school, be sure you also want to practice PT, or it'll just be a waste of 3 yrs + $$$$$.

 

[riseboi]

I won't bother to comment whether PT school is right for you, but you might find this video relevant as this PT found a way to integrate PT and Yoga.



As an aside, I am a Pilates trained PT at an outpatient physical therapy and pilates center. My knowledge/practice as a PT has helped shape the way I teach my pilates clients just as pilates has helped shape the way I treat my PT patients. While I primarily treat pilates as just a "tool in my toolbox " as PT, I do appreciate the holistic approach often associated with it and employ it as I see fit.

 

[DesertPT]

I agree that it does not really make sense to invest 3 years and anywhere from $50,000-$150,000 in a DPT if your intention is not to work as a physical therapist. By the time you graduate you can't expect that your dream "yoga therapy" job is going to fall out of the sky and so in order to support yourself and pay off your debt you will have no choice but to work as a PT.

Also, the pre-PT process is very extensive and extremely competitive, not to mention the challenge of graduating PT school itself. If you are not passionate about being a PT you will probably struggle to push through all of it.

I would get out their and do some observation hours in several different PT settings and see how your view of "traditional physical therapy" matches up to what you see. You might discover that you love PT, and you may discover that you hate it.

And I would second that if you do end up applying, do not stress that yoga is the only reason why you are going to PT school during the application process. This may not sit well with some considering the PT academy's heavy emphasis on evidence-based practice.

 

[nik756]

Thanks for the replies! I really appreciate it

AllanWattsBlues-great information, I guess what I view as traditional physical therapy is what I have observed while shadowing thus far where there was a lot of manipulations, manual therapy, and exercises with balls (throwing off of a trampoline) as well as resistance bands. I appreciate your advice with the application process.

Callmecrazy- I'm currently in graduate school for civil engineering, and am in the process of getting my teacher's certification.

riseboi- thanks for the link, super interesting and relevant to what I want to do in the future. Gave me a good idea of how one can integrate it into the practice.

knj27- I agree. coming from a biology background, I do have most of the pre reqs done, but definitely agree on your points about being passionate. Am currently in the process of setting up some observation hours, though many of the clinics I have contacted are not accepting observers at the moment (any advice in the Los Angeles area would be appreciated!)

Thank you all again for the replies.

 

[AlanWattsBlues]

AllanWattsBlues-great information, I guess what I view as traditional physical therapy is what I have observed while shadowing thus far where there was a lot of manipulations, manual therapy, and exercises with balls (throwing off of a trampoline) as well as resistance bands. I appreciate your advice with the application process.
.

Good luck out there.

I came into PT school via a circuitous route that involved time in the CAM world, and I know it's going to be a process to reconcile these different paradigms in my head. But I think it can be done. That's what I appreciate about this profession. It's not held together by a commitment to a single treatment framework or a charismatic guru. The glue is a commitment to evidence and foundational science. What can be demonstrated and defended. A willingness to evolve as our knowledge grows (and to abandon what we learn doesn't work).

Within that framework, I think it's possible to deliver care that can be justified and it doesn't all have to look the same. I hope you're able to find some mentors who are practicing in a way that resonates with your interests and can help you get your foot in the door of pt school (if that's what you decide you'd like to do).