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Date: 02/06/2025

Physical Therapists

Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
    • Direct, supervise, assess, and communicate with supportive personnel.
    • Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
    • Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy.
    • Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy.
    • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
    • Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
    • Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.
    • Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices.
    • Provide educational information about physical therapy or physical therapists, injury prevention, ergonomics, or ways to promote health.
    • Administer treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet or infrared lamps, or ultrasound machines.
    • Refer clients to community resources or services.
    • Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
    • Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.
    • Inform patients and refer to appropriate practitioners when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy.
    • Evaluate, fit, or adjust prosthetic or orthotic devices or recommend modification to orthotist.
    • Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.
    • Provide information to the patient about the proposed intervention, its material risks and expected benefits, and any reasonable alternatives.
    • Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
    • Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
    • Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
    • Teach physical therapy students or those in other health professions.
    • Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
    • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
    • Evaluate, fit, or adjust prosthetic or orthotic devices or recommend modification to orthotist.
    • Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.
    • Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.
    • Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
    • Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
    • Direct group rehabilitation activities.
    • Conduct or support research and apply research findings to practice.
    • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
    • Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
    • Administer treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet or infrared lamps, or ultrasound machines.
    • Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
    • Inform patients and refer to appropriate practitioners when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy.

    Skills

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    6
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    Knowledge

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 98440/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 47.33/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 9,170
    • Yearly Projected Openings 420

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Concern for Others
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Social Orientation
    • Cooperation
    • Self Control

    Tools

    • Back or lumbar or sacral orthopedic softgoods
    • Balance beams or boards or bolsters or rockers for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Biofeedback devices
    • Blood pressure cuff kits
    • Canes
    • Cardiac output CO monitoring units
    • Cervical collars or neck braces
    • Cognitive or dexterity or perceptual or sensory evaluation or testing products
    • Continuous passive motion CPM devices
    • Crutches
    • Diathermy units
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Dynamometers
    • Electric vibrators for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Electromyography EMG units
    • Electronic blood pressure units
    • Electrotherapy combination units
    • Exercise trampolines
    • Extremity hydrotherapy baths or tanks
    • Force or torque sensors
    • Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
    • Gait belts for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Galvanic or faradic stimulators
    • Goniometers or arthrometers
    • Grip strengthener
    • Infrared lamps
    • Knee therapeutic brace or support
    • Laser printers
    • Lower body resistance machines
    • Lower extremity prosthetic devices
    • Mats or platforms for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Medical acoustic stethoscopes
    • Medical hydrocollators
    • Neuromuscular stimulators or kits
    • Notebook computers
    • Ophthalmoscopes or otoscopes or scope sets
    • Orthopedic traction hardware or weights
    • Orthopedic traction softgoods for general use
    • Orthotics or foot care products
    • Parallel bars for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Patient care beds for general use
    • Patient care beds for specialty care
    • Patient lifts
    • Patient shifting boards
    • Pedal exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Pelvis or back traction supplies
    • Personal computers
    • Pivotal traction therapy supplies
    • Powder boards for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Pulleys for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Reachers for the physically challenged
    • Reflex hammers or mallets
    • Resistive exercise bands or putty or tubing for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Rowing machines
    • Stair climbers
    • Therapeutic balls
    • Therapeutic cryo compression therapy systems
    • Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packs
    • Therapeutic paraffin baths
    • Training stairs for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation units
    • Treadmill exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Ultrasonic therapy apparatus or supplies
    • Ultraviolet UV lamps
    • Upper body resistance machines
    • Upper extremity prosthetic devices
    • Vascular or compression apparel or support
    • Vestibular motion devices for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Walkers or rollators
    • Walking braces
    • Weight machines for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Weights or sets for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Wheelchairs
    • Work table or station for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Wrist exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Action games
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software
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