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Date: 06/14/2025

Physical Therapists

Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Direct, supervise, assess, and communicate with supportive personnel.
    • Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy.
    • Construct, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices.
    • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
    • Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
    • Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy.
    • Provide educational information about physical therapy or physical therapists, injury prevention, ergonomics, or ways to promote health.
    • Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
    • Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.
    • Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
    • Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
    • Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.
    • Administer treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet or infrared lamps, or ultrasound machines.
    • Refer clients to community resources or services.
    • Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
    • Inform patients and refer to appropriate practitioners when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy.
    • Provide information to the patient about the proposed intervention, its material risks and expected benefits, and any reasonable alternatives.
    • Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.
    • Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
    • Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
    • Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
    • Evaluate, fit, or adjust prosthetic or orthotic devices or recommend modification to orthotist.
    • Teach physical therapy students or those in other health professions.
    • Administer treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet or infrared lamps, or ultrasound machines.
    • Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.
    • Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.
    • Evaluate, fit, or adjust prosthetic or orthotic devices or recommend modification to orthotist.
    • Inform patients and refer to appropriate practitioners when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy.
    • Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
    • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
    • Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
    • Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.
    • Direct group rehabilitation activities.
    • Conduct or support research and apply research findings to practice.
    • Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
    • Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.

    Skills

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    6
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    Knowledge

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 98440/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 47.33/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 9,170
    • Yearly Projected Openings 420

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Concern for Others
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Social Orientation
    • Cooperation
    • Self Control

    Tools

    • Back or lumbar or sacral orthopedic softgoods
    • Balance beams or boards or bolsters or rockers for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Biofeedback devices
    • Blood pressure cuff kits
    • Canes
    • Cardiac output CO monitoring units
    • Cervical collars or neck braces
    • Cognitive or dexterity or perceptual or sensory evaluation or testing products
    • Continuous passive motion CPM devices
    • Crutches
    • Diathermy units
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Dynamometers
    • Electric vibrators for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Electromyography EMG units
    • Electronic blood pressure units
    • Electrotherapy combination units
    • Exercise trampolines
    • Extremity hydrotherapy baths or tanks
    • Force or torque sensors
    • Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
    • Gait belts for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Galvanic or faradic stimulators
    • Goniometers or arthrometers
    • Grip strengthener
    • Infrared lamps
    • Knee therapeutic brace or support
    • Laser printers
    • Lower body resistance machines
    • Lower extremity prosthetic devices
    • Mats or platforms for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Medical acoustic stethoscopes
    • Medical hydrocollators
    • Neuromuscular stimulators or kits
    • Notebook computers
    • Ophthalmoscopes or otoscopes or scope sets
    • Orthopedic traction hardware or weights
    • Orthopedic traction softgoods for general use
    • Orthotics or foot care products
    • Parallel bars for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Patient care beds for general use
    • Patient care beds for specialty care
    • Patient lifts
    • Patient shifting boards
    • Pedal exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Pelvis or back traction supplies
    • Personal computers
    • Pivotal traction therapy supplies
    • Powder boards for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Pulleys for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Reachers for the physically challenged
    • Reflex hammers or mallets
    • Resistive exercise bands or putty or tubing for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Rowing machines
    • Stair climbers
    • Therapeutic balls
    • Therapeutic cryo compression therapy systems
    • Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packs
    • Therapeutic paraffin baths
    • Training stairs for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation units
    • Treadmill exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Ultrasonic therapy apparatus or supplies
    • Ultraviolet UV lamps
    • Upper body resistance machines
    • Upper extremity prosthetic devices
    • Vascular or compression apparel or support
    • Vestibular motion devices for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Walkers or rollators
    • Walking braces
    • Weight machines for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Weights or sets for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Wheelchairs
    • Work table or station for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Wrist exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Action games
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

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