Physical Therapys’ Popularity Still Soaring

Around this time last year an article was published in The Boston Globe covering the surge of Physical Therapists. I thought it was such a great article and still very relevant to the field, so I am providing a link to it in this blog. Take a moment to read Physical Therapy Arrives: Popularity Surges for Varied Reasons. The article talks about the growing demand for Physical Therapists and why the field is so successful.

“Physical therapy is booming. We can’t get them out of school fast enough. Hospitals are crying out for physical therapists all over the country,” said Dr. Jeffrey B. Palmer , director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.
Part of the growing demand is because the population is getting older and creakier. But much of it, particularly for problems like back pain, he said, “is the desire for conservative management.”

Not only is the Physical Therapy field growing, but it is gaining respect from others in the health care field.

“Dr. Lyle Micheli , an orthopedic surgeon and director of sports medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston, said he now sends 90 percent of patients ‘to physical therapy instead of surgery.’
At the Spine Center at New England Baptist Hospital, Dr. Geno Martinez, who specializes in rehabilitation medicine, tells many patients that their back pain will improve if they get moving with the help of a physical therapist.”

The article stated in November 2006 there where 200 training programs in the United States. Today, there are 199 institutions supporting 210 programs in the United States (184 of those being DPT and 26 being MS/MPT). That is 10 new programs just in the past year! It is obvious the popularity of Physical Therapy is still going strong.
Article courtesy of RehabCare Student blog. RehabCare provides college recruiting for Physical Therapists, Physical Therapists Assistance, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants and Speech Language Pathologists.