The history of Physiotherapy can be traced back to the ancient times. Allegedly, physicians like Hippocrates and Galenus were the first practitioners of physical therapy, promoting massage, manual therapy techniques and hydrotherapy to treat people in 460 BC. It might not have been as advanced as it is today, but regardless of that fact, history indicates that it was a well acquainted phenomenon in ways of packs, massages and much more. Today it is much more than it once was and also because of that fact it would be a wise decision to venture into this field.
Physiotherapy or Physical Therapy, today, is one of those fields which have numerous options to work with and also is well rewarding. Physiotherapy is now an easy concoction of therapies, exercises, and more. It is a holistic approach as rather than the whole body, physiotherapy aims at focusing on the particular part that is injured or under duress.
Physiotherapy offers a wide array of opportunities for students of this industry to work either in the country or abroad. The earning potential in countries like UK or US is much more than here in India.
Physiotherapy Courses and Eligibility Criteria
Like most courses, Physiotherapy has a graduate and a postgraduate level to offer to its students. The bachelor’s course is of mostly of four and a half year which includes the internship period as well. To be eligible for this course, one must have completed their Class XII with Biology.
The master’s course for physiotherapy lasts for two years in which the student will also complete his specialization. To be eligible for this course, one must have completed their bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy Career Prospects
Owing to the lifestyles people keep these days, Physiotherapists have become an indispensable part of our lives. Stiffness, shoulder aches, backaches, arthritis are common occupational hazards which have become synonyms with so many people these days. This is where physiotherapists step in; they are concerned with a profession where maximizing mobility and quality of life is done by implementing clinical reasoning.
Physiotherapists can look for a job in Nursing homes, Residential homes, Hospitals, Private offices such as Private practices, Clinics, Fitness centers or Health clubs, Rehabilitation centers, etc.
Pay Scale – Salary for Physiotherapy Grads
Physiotherapists are also obligated to have soft skills such as communications, critical thinking skills and teamwork, etc. to get their job done. Once you complete your graduation you can earn up to 5000 to 10,000 INR. Keep in mind that the salary offered is different from company to company and also matters where you complete your degree from.
Even though the salary is low to begin with but it jumps quite high once you gather experience in the field.
Job Opportunities and Career Options in Physiotherapy
The job of a physiotherapist revolves around the below mentioned doings:
- Identifying the physical problem
- Developing and reviewing treatment programmes
- Supporting patients with joint and spinal problems, especially following surgery
- Assisting patients’ rehabilitation following accidents, injury and strokes
- Supervision and education of junior physiotherapists
- Reporting patient case notes and reports
- Advising patients and their careers about how to prevent and/or improve conditions
Institutes offering Physiotherapy Courses
- Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Institute for Physically Handicapped
- Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
- Manav Rachna International University, Faculty of Applied Sciences
- School of Physiotherapy, S S G Hospital
- Research
- Patna Medical College
- Amar Jyoti Institute of Physiotherapy
- National Institute of Health Education & Research
- National Institute of Physiotherapy & Communication Disorders