Pure Potential

All About Careers - Physiotherapy

You might be under the impression that physiotherapy careers are all about massaging professional athletes when they have cramp and recommending bizarre exercises for people to do when they’re watching TV. However, there’s so much more to a career in physiotherapy than the common stereotypes might lead you to believe.

Essentially, physiotherapists help people of all ages who are temporarily or permanently suffering from physical disabilities and debilitating conditions. These healthcare professionals work in hospitals and community settings to treat patients with all kinds of ailments, ranging from sporting injuries and persistent joint problems to paralysis resulting from strokes and neurological conditions.

Physiotherapists carry out assessments to evaluate their patients’ range of movement and ability to carry out everyday tasks. They then plan and develop bespoke treatment plans which help patients to regain their independence and mobility by using purposeful activity. 

A broad range of treatments can be implemented by physiotherapists to improve their patients’ strength, stamina, balance and exercise tolerance, including therapeutic exercise, electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, heat therapy and joint manipulation.

To become a physiotherapist, it’s necessary to obtain an accredited undergraduate degree (BSc) in physiotherapy and register with the Health Professions Council. To thrive in this line of work, physiotherapists need to be kind, patient, caring and understanding. Patients may be unmotivated and uncooperative and therefore will need constant encouragement and reassurance. Consequently, it’s also important for physiotherapists to have fantastic communication skills.

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