Kinesiotherapist Programs / Job Prospects
What Kinesiotherapists do:
Kinesiotherapy (also known as Human Kinetics) is a highly rewarding allied healthcare career field concerned with the holistic appliance of scientifically-based exercise values that have been modified to increase endurance levels, physical strength and mobility of those requiring extended physical conditioning or people with functional limitations. Kinesiotherapists (formerly Corrective Therapists) work in a variety of medical environments such as rehabilitation clinics, hospitals, sports medicine facilities, fitness centers, and private offices to create and monitor exercise programs that assist individuals who have lost essential muscle strength and function due to illness or injury. To become, a registered kinesiotherapist (RKT) you must undertake concentrated studies in the areas of human motion, exercise science and rehabilitation exercise. Training is received in colleges and universities and practice settings that include cardiovascular- pulmonary, geriatric, neurological, orthopedic, pediatric, psychiatric. Kinesiotherapists are exercise physiologists who can only conduct treatment when prescribed by a qualified nurse practitioner, physician assistant or physician.
The main duties of a Kinesiotherapist include:
- Applying the principles of Human Kinetics to patients
- Administering therapeutic exercise, aquatic therapy and prosthetic rehabilitation
- Working with cancer patients, recent amputees, or patients who have suffered from a stroke
- Educating patients about their body mechanics
- Mentoring patients who have reached their full mobility
- Administration of biomechanical, ergonomic, musculoskeletal, neurological, psychosocial and task-specific functional tests and measures
- Working in a medical setting such as a rehabilitation clinic or hospital
Education & Qualifications:
There is no current requirement for kinesiotherapy licensure in the U.S., but RKT registered kinesiotherapist credentials are offered by the Council on Professional Standards Board for Registration of Kinesiotherapists (COPS-KT). Registration examinations are offered twice a year in January and July, and form part of the educational curriculum of many Kinesiotherapy training programs in colleges and universities accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). To qualify for the COPS-KT registration test you must have completed a CAAHEP accredited kinesiotherapy program, have a minimum grade point average of 2.5, and have completed at least 1,000 hours of clinical experience.
Salary:
Registered kinesiotherapists can expect to earn salaries between $36,000 - $90,000 per year. Salaries are dependent on qualifications, location, position held and experience. An in-depth understanding of anatomy, biomechanics and physiology is required to become a first-class kinesiotherapist.
Below is a list of some of the various types of allied health careers / professions: