Physiotherapy, or more commonly referred to as physical therapy, is among the most allied healthcare professions that, through the use of proven evidence-based techniques, physical assessment, diagnosis, rehabilitation, movement prescription, electrical assessment, physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists and physiotherapy instructors, physiotherapy education and training, chiropractic care and much more, helps people in need of help. With the ever-changing needs of people from all walks of life, including seniors, athletes,athletes with disability, children, women, and many others, there is more need for professional and continuing education in physiotherapy.
The Physiotherapy Education & Training Program at the National Institute of Health, (NIH) is one such ongoing program which is designed to help those in the physical therapy field who are also interested in continuing their education in other areas. For example, a therapist interested in teaching physical therapy may choose to pursue a PhD, MS, or CNRE (Certified Nursing Assistant) credential in psychology. The program is designed to help individuals interested in continuing their education become licensed and certified in the areas of psychology and other allied fields of physical therapy. This is important for practitioners who may not be able to change their areas of practice to accommodate changing needs and circumstances.
In addition to the Physical Therapy Education & Training Program, there are many continuing education programs that are offered by national and local agencies to help professionals in the physical therapy field stay up to date with the latest research and developments in the field of physical therapy. These programs provide the benefit of helping the physical therapist to remain current with what is going on in the physical therapy field while also providing valuable information that will benefit the therapist in the workplace.
The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) sponsors professional development activities that help physical therapist employers to make better use of their workers. The society’s program is designed to provide hands-on training in the latest design and implementation of equipment, systems, and training programs and to help train professional physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, massage students and other allied healthcare professionals on new technologies and tools that will help to improve patient care.
The Physiotherapy Association of North America (PANA) also offers continuing education training programs designed to meet the needs of professionals in the physical therapy field. The program, called CME (Curriculum in Medical Education), provides training that helps individuals in the physical therapy field to update and reinforce knowledge about the latest developments in rehabilitation technology, clinical practice of physical therapy, and the latest training programs and tools.
As you can see there is a large amount of information available about physiotherapy and physical therapy education and training programs in the physical therapy industry. If you are interested in becoming a therapist or practitioner of physical therapy, it is important to continue your education and become more knowledgeable about the different continuing education opportunities in the health care industry.