My Research
Throughout the process of researching, I visited three sources that I did annotated bibliographies for and interviewed my mentor to get my basic research done.
Background Information about Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy is the scientific physical procedures used in treating patients with a disability, disease, or injury to achieve and maintain functional rehabilitation to prevent malfunction or deformity. There are many diagnostic tests used by physical therapists. They are manual muscle testing, electrical testing, perceptual and sensory testing, and the measurement of the range of the joints.
Some of the treatment options are cryotherapy (cold) or with heat. For example, they may use heated water, melted paraffin wax, hot packs, infrared and ultraviolet lamps, ultrasonic waves that produce heat internally, and diathermy which is the application of microwaves, radio-frequency electromagnetic fields, or electric current to generate heat in body tissues. Electrical stimulation is used to counter muscle atrophy or spasticity by using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), to provide pain relief. This treatment takes place on top of the skin.
One of the most important tasks of the physical therapist is using multiple therapeutic exercises. It is used to increase strength and endurance, improve coordination, improve functional movement for activities of daily living, and increase and maintain a good range of motion in the joints.
Some of the treatment options are cryotherapy (cold) or with heat. For example, they may use heated water, melted paraffin wax, hot packs, infrared and ultraviolet lamps, ultrasonic waves that produce heat internally, and diathermy which is the application of microwaves, radio-frequency electromagnetic fields, or electric current to generate heat in body tissues. Electrical stimulation is used to counter muscle atrophy or spasticity by using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), to provide pain relief. This treatment takes place on top of the skin.
One of the most important tasks of the physical therapist is using multiple therapeutic exercises. It is used to increase strength and endurance, improve coordination, improve functional movement for activities of daily living, and increase and maintain a good range of motion in the joints.
The Search
The typical order of someone's pain/injury is first a visit to the doctor and then a referral to a physical therapist.
Recently, the order has become flipped in some cases which can have benefits. This is because it helps you receive the best patient care possible. It also helps benefit the physical therapists because direct access empowers physical therapists to be on the giving side of the equation. This may result in them getting more for their business. Over 20 years ago, physicians played a dominant role in interaction between the physician and the physical therapist. The physical therapist functioned as a technician by following the plan provided by the physician. The physical therapists could not analyze the patient because it could result in the doctor sending the patient to one that simply followed orders. This means that the physician had the responsibility of evaluation, diagnosis, and determining the plan without seeing the progress every week of therapy.
This resulted from the physician's beliefs that because the physical therapist lacked the most complex criteria of medical professionalism: examination and evaluation skills and autonomy of judgment, they were not suited to determine what is wrong with a patient and therefore cannot treat them properly. However, the role of physical therapy has been changing rapidly in the past 5 to 10 years. “In 2000, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) adopted Vision 2020, in which five key areas became the focus of the APTA to make physical therapy a more autonomous profession by the year 2020” (Liu, Hao, and James P. Fletcher). The key areas of change include professionalism, direct access, the doctor of physical therapy degree, evidence-based practice, and the PT as the practitioner of choice. All of this is significant progress in these key areas will prepare and enable physical therapists to interact with physicians on a more professional level and less of them being the order followers. Currently, the PT is assuming greater responsibility for initial assessment and management of musculoskeletal conditions.”
Recently, the order has become flipped in some cases which can have benefits. This is because it helps you receive the best patient care possible. It also helps benefit the physical therapists because direct access empowers physical therapists to be on the giving side of the equation. This may result in them getting more for their business. Over 20 years ago, physicians played a dominant role in interaction between the physician and the physical therapist. The physical therapist functioned as a technician by following the plan provided by the physician. The physical therapists could not analyze the patient because it could result in the doctor sending the patient to one that simply followed orders. This means that the physician had the responsibility of evaluation, diagnosis, and determining the plan without seeing the progress every week of therapy.
This resulted from the physician's beliefs that because the physical therapist lacked the most complex criteria of medical professionalism: examination and evaluation skills and autonomy of judgment, they were not suited to determine what is wrong with a patient and therefore cannot treat them properly. However, the role of physical therapy has been changing rapidly in the past 5 to 10 years. “In 2000, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) adopted Vision 2020, in which five key areas became the focus of the APTA to make physical therapy a more autonomous profession by the year 2020” (Liu, Hao, and James P. Fletcher). The key areas of change include professionalism, direct access, the doctor of physical therapy degree, evidence-based practice, and the PT as the practitioner of choice. All of this is significant progress in these key areas will prepare and enable physical therapists to interact with physicians on a more professional level and less of them being the order followers. Currently, the PT is assuming greater responsibility for initial assessment and management of musculoskeletal conditions.”