Schwinghammer 1

Sophia Schwinghammer
Julia Intawiwat
ENG 111
Prompt 1
10/17/2017

Struggles in the field of Physical Therapy

Is a physical therapist as accredited as a physician? Are they even real doctors when all

they have to know are exercises and mucle groups? Should they even be able to work separately

from physician? Questions like this plague PTs causing problems in their professional careers. In

todays world PTs often underappreciated. And though there is a lot done to help recognize and

implement this useful form of treatment there are still many issues could use some improvement.

Misconceptions surrounding physical therapy represent one hindrance to the practices of

PTs and sometimes stall progress of their patients. Unfortunately, many believe that PTs are not

in fact real doctors. This belief could be caused by an unfamiliarity to the practice which is

fairly new compared to other forms of medicine. This problem may be simply solved with an

awareness act, publicizing befits of PT. But this problem could have also stemmed from the

negative stigma against women dating back to the beginnings of the physical therapy practice.

The Practice of physical therapy started as an exclusively female organization in the 1920s. It

was created and designed to help war victims regain physical strength and mobility after battle

(APTA). Starting in a war time environment it was women who were the doctors were women

out of necessity. Because of sexism and stereotypical discrimination physical therapy was

discerned as a basic practice of medicine. This unfortunate generalization made it so that even
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today when PTs are required to have a doctorate level of education they are required to practice

under the thumbs of physicians.

PT professionals are like another doctor and will do their best to help their patients and

make sure that they receive the best treatment possible. But being a PT has benefits in addition to

the feel good aspect of helping people. Becoming a physical therapist often makes a good

career choice for those that are looking to switch fields later in life. And can be a good way to

become part of the world of sports medicine. With wages that range from 57,000 to over 80,000

annually it provided financial stability for its doctors (Rise Eric.). There is how ever a catch in

the PT position in regards to insurance companies. The doctors themselves find all the insurance

privileges that any government official or practitioner of medicine would. Where the insurance

companies cause trouble is mainly with their patients and the PTs ability to treat said patient.

Certain health care companies and insurance companies will only cover the costs of a

visit to a physical therapist if it is recommended or prescribed by a medical physician (Holmes,

2017). This has led to many disgruntled PTs having to declare the obvious that they are

perfectly capable of diagnosing their own patients. There having been attempts at rectifying this

problem such as the direct access act which has been implicated in all 50 United States. This act

allows people to have direct access to physical therapy professional (McCallum). Though this

has helped PTs with their journey to becoming a fully autonomous organization of doctors. It has

not had its intended effect because many states have put in place restrictions for the sake of

insurance companies. With these restrictions the direct access act has only made a small ripple in

the way things work if any at all. Some PTs have tried to get around all of the restrictions to

provide the best care for their patients by owning private practices. However not everyone can

have a private practice and in order for private practices to be able to continue they require an
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heir or they will inevitably close their doors (Jennenga, 2014). But hope does prevail for PTs!

With the establishment of an Autonomy act which the American Physical Therapy Association

defines as: Autonomous physical therapist practice is characterized by independent, self-

determined professional judgment and action. Physical therapists have the capability, ability and

responsibility to exercise professional judgment within their scope of practice, and to

professionally act on that judgment. This act, which is planned to be implicated by the year

2020, would enable PTs to make their own professional opinions and diagnosis of patients

injuries. By becoming an autonomous profession insurance companies would be able to cover

more or all of the costs of treatment. Autonomy for PTs would if not entirely fix this situation it

would help. Which is why physical therapists are working so hard to get autonomy. Organizing

conferences and conventions to discus and act on such things as the autonomy act.

Many active and engaged PTs are in favor of the autonomy act and hope to actually see

in established by the year 2020 (McDavitt Steve). Unfortunately this date has already been

extended by the government. This act, as well as the implication of direct access in every state,

would enable PTs to use their own expertise to asses and diagnose their patients. And would

allow patients to come directly to them illuminating the need for a prescription from a physician

(APTA). This would not only allow PTs more freedom but also start to build a better reputation

for PTs allotting more prestige to their doctoral positions.

Physical therapy and therapists have come to be well accredited doctors with the right to

practice their own form of medicine. Even with corporate owners and insurance companies not

recognizing their competence treat them as sublevel physicians. They strive to do the best for

their patients in private and corporate practices. Pts continue to work towards and hope for a

better working system with insurance companies and reach out to their skeptical patients. But
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there is still a far way to go which is why there are so many struggles for PTs. The continuation

of this improvement for the recognition and acknowledgement of PTs is what we can hope to see

in the years to come.

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Sources
APTA. APTA, www.apta.org/.

Holmes, T. E. (2017). How Much Phyisical Therapy Will Your Health Insurance Cover? Net
Quote Inc.

Jennenga, H. (2014). Busines Matters: How the PT Profession Must Evolve to Succeed.
Evidence In Motion.

McDavitt, Steve. "The Evolution of Autonomous Practice and Vision 2020." Pt, vol.

14, no. 5, 2006, pp. 26-26,28,30,32, Family Health Database,

http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/216
816786?accountid=10008.

McCallum, Christine A., and Tom DiAngelis. "Direct Access: Factors that Affect

Physical Therapist Practice in the State of Ohio." Physical Therapy, vol. 92,
no. 5, 2012, pp. 688-706, Family Health Database,
http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/101
2249775?accountid=10008.

Ries, Eric. "First Choice for a Second Career." PT in Motion, vol. 9, no. 6, 2017, pp.

32-41, Family Health Database,

http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/191
8329172?accountid=10008