Physical therapists help people increase their quality of life, looking at physical, psychological, emotional and social well-being. They work in prevention, treatment/intervention, habilitation and rehabilitation.
Physical therapists provide services that develop, maintain and restore patient’s maximum movement and functional ability. They can help people at any stage of life, when movement and function are threatened by aging, injury, diseases, disorders, conditions or environmental factors.
Physical therapists are qualified and professionally required to:
- undertake a comprehensive examination/assessment of the patient/client or needs of a client group
- evaluate the findings from the examination/assessment to make clinical judgments regarding patients/clients
- formulate a diagnosis, prognosis and plan
- provide consultation within their expertise and determine when patients/clients need to be referred to another healthcare professional
- implement a physical therapist intervention/treatment programme
- determine the outcomes of any interventions/treatments
- make recommendations for self-management.