ADS

About

Information To Know About Alaska Pediatric Therapy

By Arthur Martin


Pediatric therapy is an area of medicine that is involved with caring for children. Pediatric therapists provide medical services to special needs children in a variety of settings such as homes, in-patient clinics, and outpatient clinics. They help to treat problems such as pre-existing medical conditions, injuries, and other problems caused by diseases or illnesses. In Alaska pediatric therapy is a very developed field of medicine and there are many people specializing 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.

These practitioners also have wide experience in medical equipment that help in alleviating pain from medical conditions that make mobility hard or impossible. Typically, they put in 40 hours per week in their work. They may also be required to extend their evening s and sometimes they may be called back to work on weekends and holidays when there is an emergency.


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.

There are various areas of specialization in this field of work. Some of them are occupational and physical therapy. One can choose to specialize in one or more subspecialties. Practitioners with more experience and education tend to earn higher compared to newly graduated applicants. Salaries are centrally regulated n the United States.

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.




About the Author:



About