Personal Narrative: A Career As A Physical Therapist

Some people may describe my job as a physical therapist as tranquil, affluent, and painless, I say they have made an incorrect assumption. While my job may look appealing, as portrayed in several movies today, I believe being a physical therapist requires much more than just exercising people’s muscles to restore the function. As a physical therapist, I play the role of friend and doctor, I encourage my patients and be firm with them, I laugh with my patients in the pleasant times and talk with them in the distressing times. I see physical therapists as heroes in their own way, without them children might not have the hope of walking again after a car accident, the elderly might not be able to find relief from their severe arthritis, and soldiers

I spend most of my time in the therapy room to do this. We equip the therapy room with bikes and trampolines, we use balls in balance exercises, and rock walls and enormous pillows complete a fun look that stimulates the children’s enthusiasm to perform an otherwise grueling task. While I observe my patient’s progress, I interact with them and help them learn the normal day to day functions that we take for granted. I teach the children how to do something as simple as picking up a spoon to something as complicated as learning how to walk at six years old instead of two. Throughout the day, I have to provide assistance when needed and be alert to my patient’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses in order to accurately adjust the treatment plans to fit their current progress. During therapy sessions I have the opportunity to see my patients grow and thrive from learning new skills and accomplishing new goals, this makes therapy sessions the most inspirational part of my day.

A day in my life as a physical therapist might described as challenging, and maybe even a little bit monotonous. However, I feel privileged to serve my patients and give them the ability to live a mostly normal life. Throughout the therapy sessions and interviews in my day, I try my hardest make my patients physical therapy experience an enjoyable one. I try my best to open up new doors to my patients through therapy, so they can glimpse a future void of restrictions and full of opportunity instead of a life resigned to the limitations of their