Sunday, April 24, 2016

Information To Know About Alaska Pediatric Therapy

By Arthur Martin


Pediatric therapy is a branch in the medicine profession which deals with caring for children. Medical practitioners in this field are called pediatric therapists and they provide medical services to children with special needs in various settings including homes, outpatient clinics, and in-patient units. They manage and treat pre-existing medical conditions, disease-related conditions and injuries. In Alaska pediatric therapy is one of the most developed medical fields and it has many practitioners who specialize in it.

Pediatric therapists specialize in providing medical care to patients up to 18 years of age from birth. Young adults, children, teenagers, and toddlers are typical patients. Causes for the conditions the practitioners handle are many and varied. They include genetic, neurological, and orthopedic disorders. Functional training, diet changes, exercise, and medication are among treatment techniques used. Combination of various techniques may be applied as dictated by the situation of the patient.

Immobility is often associated with medical conditions that cause pain. These practitioners have training and experience in equipment that help to alleviate the pain. Per week, they work for up to 40 hours. Weekends and holidays may also be interrupted by emergency situations while evenings may be extended too due to work.

Ability to work under stress while maintaining emotional strength is a major requirement in the field. Patients who are frustrated by their medical conditions are often a source of emotional problems for practitioners. One must also be good in communication because they need to communicate to patients and parents about treatment options. Therapists can work in research facilities, private practice, hospitals, and private medical facilities.

Holding a doctorate degree in physical therapy is one of the requirements for qualifying in this field. Earning a doctorate degree in this field takes up to three years of training. The educational institution where the degree is earned must be accredited. The American Physical Therapy Association is the body responsible for accrediting academic institutions in this field. Other regulatory bodies exist in individual states. The field also has minor and specializations for interested applicants.

Some of the common courses covered during training include anatomy, radiology, pathology, behavioral science, physiology, biology, pharmacology, and exercise physiology among others. Qualification involves completing some supervised work through assistantship or internship. Requirements for licensing may vary from state to state. However, generally, one must complete the National Physical Therapy Examination. Licenses must also be renewed after every few years by fulfilling continuing educational requirements.

This field also has several specialties in which practitioners can specialize. Physical therapy and occupational therapy are some of those subspecialties. Practitioners can choose one or multiple subspecialties to specialize in. Compared to fresh graduates, experienced and more learned practitioners earn higher salaries. In the United States, salaries are regulated centrally.

There is an observation of an upward trend of job availability in this trend. The industry is expected to grow by 29-36 percent up to 2022 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the US. As of 2012, median salary for physical and occupational therapists was 79, 860 and 75, 400 dollar respectively.




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