Generally the physical therapy supplies are categorized by their function into many groups but the basic, general ones are bands/putty/tubing, bedding/gowns/towels, biofreeze, electrodes, exam gloves, iontophoresis, lead wires, massage oils and creams, mobile carts, paraffin baths, ultrasound gel and lotion and additives and disinfectants. And while some of these supplies are common of the medical profession in general, there are some that are only specific for the physical therapy department. So to have a closer look at what they mean we are going to separate them in specific and general physical therapy supplies.

The specific physical therapy supplies are those that only have to do with physiotherapy. So, for example, although the biofreeze gel can be recommended by a general physician as well it will be most likely used by a physiotherapist. It is a type of get that creates the sensation of cold from the first application without the cold restrain of blood that is generally associated with the application of a cold patch. It can offer up to 6 hours of pain relief which is more than enough to attain the deep sleep state that chronic pain usually can’t interfere with. Massage oils are another set of supplies that are specific to physiotherapy and they are also the physical therapy supplies that most people will instantly recognize and associate with PT.

Other specific physical therapy supplies are the iontophoresis is a form a therapy that allows the use of electric current to put a medical substance directly into the tissue. It is a fairly new technology and it is one that is gaining more and more acceptance from the public. They can be used beneath the clothing and can deliver medicine to the direct spot affected by pain. Paraffin baths are the last supplies that are characteristic to PT and they have a more soothing and relaxing effect than regular baths. From the most modern technics to the most ancient paraffin baths have been a part of PT even before the physical therapy supplies concept was in use.

And as for the general physical therapy supplies, they are some of the most common and best known medical supplies like exam gloves, hospital bedding and gowns, the ultrasound gel that anyone who has ever had a baby knows too well. There are actually even more general physical therapy supplies but we will not go into them since they are not endemic to PT.

So although we have looked very carefully at 3 of the top physical therapy schools in the country that is by no means enough in order to prove the point and help you find the best school in your region. And although you are going to find specific pages for each of these universities on this site right now we need to focus just on where they are located and what position they hold on a general, cross country scale. So to prove a point the best physical therapy school in the US is at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and the second best is at the University of Pittsburgh. So even if you are going for the top universities in the country they have been very nicely spread out between the East Coast and the West Cost. The third best choice from the top physical therapy schools is at the Washington University in St. Luis, Missouri, so not quite in the center but almost.

The situation continues with the next two top physical therapy schools which share the number 5 spot and they are the University of Iowa and the US Army-Baylor University in Texas. You do need to remember, though, that we are only talking about the best physical therapy schools so we are not actually comparing universities just the respective schools. Both of these schools have been rated at 3.9 while the first 2 top physical therapy schools have earned a rating of 4.4 and 4.3. So the difference is not only so small as to be almost insignificant but the dedication of the students and the changing tides of statistics could result in the PA school at Baylor, for example, becoming the top school in the country in just a few years from now. And the point in that is that it doesn’t really matter which are the top physical therapy schools in the US as long as you are the best at studying with them.

And, as already mentioned, the best of the physical therapy schools in California and, indeed, the US is the Physical Therapy branch of the University of California. It has the top score of the entire country, 4.4, so graduating from here with top marks will position you on the top hiring lists in the entire country. Of course the competition is really high but what you need to remember is that the admission committee is looking both grades and a strong intent and character. That is why you must put great care into obtaining the 2 mandatory letters of recommendation obtained from 2 science faculty members or a current evaluation from a pre-medical committee. You will also need to have taken the MCAT in the past 3 years; if you’ve taken it before then, you will have to take it again to be considered for admittance in one of the top physical therapy schools in California.

However there are several other physical therapy schools in California, not the least of which is the University of California in San Francisco whose Physical Therapy section is ranked as the 13^th most best school with a score of 3.6. That may not be as high as 4.4 but is still a well above the average score that is certain to empress several employers, particularly if it is coupled with a graduation with the highest marks. And in order to apply you will need to have a bachelor degree, preferably in Kinesiology or the biological sciences but they will accept any other applications as well. You will also need to have a minimum of 150 hours of paid or volunteer experience in a variety of physical therapy settings working under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist. You will also need a minimum of 3 letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a physical therapist and you will need to provide the results of a GRE that has been taken in the past 5 years. There is also second requirement that you have a minimum of 50th percentile scores for the Verbal and Quantitative GRE exams, using both current and new (Fall, 2011) scoring systems. So if you can fulfill those conditions than it should be really easy to be accepted at one of the top physical therapy schools in California.

And the best of the physical therapy schools in Florida is the University of Miami, which is ranked number 7 in the overall US physical therapy schools with of 3.8.You should take into consideration the fact that the number one school of physical therapy only scored 4.4 so the school in Miami is an impressive place to learn about physiotherapy. At the UM you can have the choice to complete one of the Doctoral degrees one for entry level and the other for academic degree. In either case you will need to have a Bachelor’s degree and your transcripts should show that your Anatomy and Physiology grades are “B” or above. You will also have to provide 3 letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a licensed physical therapist but that should not be too difficult to obtain because the third requisite is that you will have completed at least 100 hours of paid or volunteer work under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist. As you can see UM is one of the top physical therapy schools in Florida for some very good reasons, not the least of which being the quality of students they handle.

And the second of the physical therapy schools in Florida is the University of Florida in Gainesville which is scored at 3.5 and is on the 15^th place in the overall ranking. Studying here means that you will be part of one of the physical therapy schools with the longest tradition in the country and you will be able to learn not only about the most modern techniques but also about some of the classical techniques that have been established in the development of modern psychotherapy. In order to be accepted here you will need to have a baccalaureate degree in any discipline, a minimum score of 400 on the verbal portion of the GRE, 500 on the quantitative portion and 3.5 on the analytical writing portion, minimum collective GPA of 3.0 and 3 recommendation letters, one from someone working in the field, and because you will also need to have 40 hours of practice that shouldn’t be too hard to obtain, one speaking of your academic abilities and one from someone who can speak to your character. Although the list is someone longer it might actually be easier to be admitted at the University of Florida and you should remember that it is still one of the best and oldest physical therapy schools in Florida.

And the first of the physical therapy schools in Texas is the US Army-Baylor University in Fort Sam Huston. It is the 5^th most important physical therapy school in the country with a total score of 3.9. In case you’ve missed it the top physical therapy program in the US is the University of Southern California with an average of 4.4. So the US Army-Baylor University’s Physical Therapy program is rather impressive and one that you should consider. For early admission you need to register by the 1^st of November but if you’ve missed that date you still have until the 1^st of February to apply. You will need a transcript of your high school’s records with the official seal on it, the SAT or ACT scores with the essay portion completed and it is recommended although not mandatory to have a resume, letters of recommendation and short answer responses. For further information be sure to call them at (210) 221-8410 or e-mail at cynthia.quiroz@amedd.army.mil. In short it is really easy to apply for Baylor and it is one of the top physical therapy schools in Texas so there should be no question about its value to a future employer.

However there are many more physical therapy schools in Texas and the Texas Woman’s University in Denton is ranked 24^th in the country and has a full score of 3.3. Now that might seem a lot lower than the 3.9 the Physical Therapy school in Baylor received but again it is also a lot about how you conduct yourself throughout your academic career and a top grade received from the Texas Woman’s University will go a lot further than average grades at Baylor. In order to apply as a freshman you will need to have graduated from a regionally accredited high school, a home-school program or hold a GED certificate of completion, attained at least a 2.0 high school grade point average on a 4.0 scale and at least 1,000 (critical reading and math combined) on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) OR scored 21 or above composite on the American College Testing Program (ACT). If you are considering to apply be sure to also call at (940) 898-2460 or just write at mdaugherty@twu.edu and you will be on your way to applying to one of the top physical therapy schools in Texas.

There are in fact many disorders that can be treated through pediatric physical therapy some of which are actually life threatening. And 2 of these most dangerous conditions are different types of Spina Bifida which is a disorder where the spinal column fails to close properly. If discovered during pregnancy the condition can be solved in 75% of the cases with medication and after birth the condition can be safely resolved with physiotherapy. And another similar disorder is Scoliosis, a situation where the spine forms the letter C or S by bending toward the wright or the left. Although in its milder forms these disorder is not cause for worry in its most advanced forms it can cause pain and a limited range of movement that can be cured with the aid of pediatric physical therapy.

Other types of children’s disorders that can be resolved with the help of pediatric physical therapy refer to Torticollis and Osgood-Schlatter. The first refers to a shortening of a certain muscle in the neck called the sternocleidomastoid which will result in a limited range of neck motions and the child holds the head to one side with the chin pointing towards the opposite side. It is a condition that can affect an individual’s entire life span but that can be easily corrected through physiotherapy. And the Osgood-Schlatter is a condition most common with young boys whose upper leg muscles develop very fast as the child grows and begins exercising and as a result they tend to rip the tendon that connects these muscles to the tibia from the tibia. Of course we are talking about micro raptures that pose no real danger to future development and that can be corrected in several sessions of pediatric physical therapy.

The most important part of any pediatric physical therapy treatment, however, is not the physiotherapist or the assistant. The most important part is the family and the values, exercises and the way in which they help the child observe the doctor’s indications. The physiotherapist will have an active role in observing the child to determine muscle and joint function, mobility, strength and endurance, cardiopulmonary status, posture and balance, oral motor skills and feeding, sensory and neuromotor development and will prescribe the best way, exercises and diet that can help the child achieve a normal life style but it is entirely up to the parents to help him actually achieve that stability through practice.

One of the best physical therapy programs is the one offered by the University of Southern California which is ranked by many authorities as the number 1 in physiotherapy schools. For admission you will need to provide your SAT or ACT scores with the optional written test. An additional test that will help you score better is the Advanced Placement examination results. There will also be an essay, short answers and quick tests stage that will help you interact better with the interviewing committee.  And another important aspect is the summery of activities performed outside the classroom. When reviewing them the admission committee is looking for those experiences that would suggest you are able and willing to assume leadership and involvement as at USC. So if you are willing to put in the effort you can apply by email at uscpa@usc.edu, by phone at (626) 457-4240 or at http://www.usc.edu/pa.

Another one of the best physical therapy programs can be found at the University of Pittsburgh which is ranked number 2 or number 3 by the different evaluating programs. Here the application process is directed through SOPHAS and needs to be comprised of a personal statement, letters of recommendation and transcripts off all education in the Unites States. Although not required the AP examination or equivalent would represent a great boost to ensure your acceptance. Also you will need to submit your GRE scores to the Graduate School of Public Health code 4234. The entire staff at GSPH is oriented towards creating a warm, friendly and personal atmosphere so if you are interested you can contact them at (412) 624-3002, stuaff@pitt.edu or via their website at http://www.publichealth.pitt.edu/.

The Washington University in St. Louis offers Masters degrees in physical therapy programs is the direct competitor of the University of Pittsburgh physical therapy program and they usually share the second place although they can occupy alternatively the second and third place. Needless to say a Masters degree carries more weight but does come with higher requirements. In order to apply you will need to provide transcripts of completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with a cumulative grade average of a B or better. You will also need to provide a personal statement letter, an essay, comprehensive resume, 3 letters of recommendation and GRE or GMAT or MCAT or the LSATs that are less than 5 years old. As you can see the requirements list is far more complex but so are the rewards. You can apply at (314) 286-1400, ptprog@wustl.edu and you should really check out the Washington University’s website on physical therapy programs at ptprog@wustl.edu.

There are many types of physical therapy equipment and they are all very physically engaging for the therapist and the assistant but that doesn’t necessarily mean they also require any effort on the part of the patient. That is why we can talk about passive and active physical therapy equipment.

One of the first physical therapy equipment sets used by anyone on recovery are the CPM or Continuous Passive Motion machine. These type of devices have been created to replace the effort that less than 50 years ago was put in by the physician. They take the injured joint through a series of motions that will allow it to heal much faster and also keep it from locking up with unnecessary growth that is very likely to happen if there is no movement for the duration of the healing period. And although the patient does not need to use his own strength to go through the range of motion the CPM physical therapy equipment is the first active equipment because it involves the patients movement and attention continuously.

The second and more obviously active physical therapy equipment are the exercise therapy products. These must not be confused with the fitness equipment which is the next step in recovery procedures because they serve a completely different role of coaching back the injured limb into a harmonious development  from almost no strength to that of an average mobility and strength. It is a particularly sensitive step in recuperation because the entire range of movement needs to be restored paying attention that the range of motion is maintained. If this process is completed successfully the patient will be able to move on to the fitness physical therapy equipment and participate in classes alongside regular people without any effort.

Of the passive physical therapy equipment range the best known devices are those used for massages because they are very useful to both professional physiotherapists and alternative massager practitioners. However there are many more devices that help in a physiotherapist or a physiotherapist assistant in his practice, not the least of which are assisted living devices. These are a whole range of devices that help people who are no longer able to use their entire range of body movements and need to be helped to realize different tasks. The fast development of physiotherapy in the past years is even now creating new physical therapy equipment and therefore there will always be new types of machines to speak of but the ones we’ve talked about are some of the more important ones.

The fact is that the work of a physical therapy aide is a very good stepping stone to becoming a physical therapy assistant and can score you some points in applying to a physical therapist school but it is comprised of very few responsibilities. Having no certification the physical therapy aide cannot actually work with the patients in any way but they can help get the office ready, welcome the patients and help them to the therapist’s office. So if you were to consider these aspects that make up the daily life of a physical therapist aide it becomes apparent that the job offers a perfect position to observe the entire process of physiotherapy as to be able to make an informed decision about your future prospect and whether it is worth it to actually spend the time to become a physical therapist or if the simple job of physical therapy aide is good enough for you.

So if you are considering the physical therapy aide as a permanent or temporary job you need to consider that on the one hand you will be working in one of the fastest growing industries in the country, developing to meet the demands of the Baby Boom generation growing old, but on the other hand your growth is completely impaired because you cannot grow in the place where you are working. Because a certification is needed to become a physical therapist you will need to go to school before you can hope to become an assistant. However having been a physical therapist aide will be a great boost for getting accepted at a higher physical therapy assistant school.

Of course there is a reason why the salary of physical therapist is even bigger today than it was in 2008 and that is because this is an extremely demanding job both in terms of the educational background of the practitioner and as far as the working hours are concerned. In terms of education one needs a post post-baccalaureate degree from an accredited physical therapy program. And the only way to advance in this field of work is by continuously expanding your knowledge base, by participating at different workshop and seminars. These are the basis for an expanding social and neural network and are extremely helpful for any individual but they just might be the type of things that you don’t want to worry too much with. But still you should consider that the average salary for a physical therapist has continued to increase greatly from 2008 on.

So how much money do physical therapists make today? Well, as averages go we can’t know the medium income for 2011 because the year isn’t over yet and so not statistical date is available for it but in 2010 the average salary for a physical therapist was $78.990. And that is for therapists who only work one day job but there are many practitioners who actually also have a second or even a third job. And by putting in those kinds of hours we are already talking about incomes in the range of $114.890 which is an increase of almost 20% from the regular physical therapist salary in 2008.

So there are decent money to be made as a physical therapist if you are willing to work regular hours and even more money if you are planning to do extra hours. Of course with so many patients requiring the aid of a physical therapist incapacitated by some form of a disease or another there are plenty of opportunities and, in fact there is a huge need, for doctors willing to work weekends, to travel to their patient’s homes and to make any adjustments to their own lives that will allow them to better cope with their problems. And if you are willing to do all those adjustments and put in all that extra time and effort then you can actually expect to at least double the mean physical therapist salary of any given year.