Rehab Therapist Career
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What a Rehab Therapist does:
Rehabilitation therapists work with individuals recovering from a wide range of surgeries, injuries or illnesses. Trained rehab therapists in Physical/Occupational Therapy and Speech/Language Pathology work with patients, to restore their best state as quickly as possible.
Rehabilitation Therapy has been proven to provide significant benefits to patients with ongoing medical conditions such as: Joint replacements, Arthritis, Orthopedic Surgery, Strokes, Amputation, Open Wounds and Neurological conditions. Rehab Therapy consists of the following group of professions: Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Counseling, Recreation Therapy, Respiratory Therapy and Speech Pathology.
Duties of Rehabilitation Therapists include:
- Examining the patients medical history
- Diagnosing disorders
- Developing treatment plans tailored for each patient
- Treating individuals with mental, physical and developmental disabilities
- Assisting clients with basic motor functions and reasoning abilities
- Helping individuals achieve independence
- Modifying a client’s work place to suit their disability
- Testing a patients balance, coordination, muscle performance, motor function, respiration and strength
- Exercising patients who have been immobilized
- Massaging patients to improve circulation and relieve pain
- Using electrical stimulation, cold compresses and hot packs
- Working with other healthcare professionals i.e. physicians, dentists and nurses
- Helping patients produce speech sounds clearly
- Diagnosing speech and language disorders
Education & Qualifications:
A master’s degree is the minimum entry level requirement into any of the Rehabilitation Therapy professions. Licensure is also required to practice, and must be compliant with the states requirements in which you wish to work.
Becoming licensed involves completing supervised field work and passing a licensure examination. Many Rehab Therapists start by completing an undergraduate majoring in biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, liberal arts, or anatomy, before continuing on to complete their Masters.
Salary & Job Prospects:
Salaries for Rehab Therapists range from $50,000 to $80,000 depending on qualifications, area of expertise, location and experience. If you are considering a career as a Rehab Therapist you should take high school courses in chemistry, physics, biology, health and the social sciences. The job prospects for all Rehab Therapy professions are excellent.
Find an Allied Health School near you:
Use the Further Your Career zip code search box to find schools and colleges in your area that offer alliedhealth / medical technology programs.
Below is a list of some of the various types of allied health careers / professions: