Worth the Work

          I have grown up with the impression that Physical Therapists are caring, loving, and passionate about their careers because of what I have witnessed from my family. Even after my observations, I have developed a greater appreciation for Physical Therapists. However, I couldn’t base my opinion of the few people/clinics I have observed to the whole community of Physical Therapists. To prove that Physical Therapy is a gratifying career, regardless of all the work and education required, I researched a couple of popular articles on the patient/therapist relationship in Physical Therapy. The first article was a blog post, “The Physical Therapist's Guide to Successful Patient-Provider Relationships”. This blog is about making the patient more involved in their recovery. The blog says the best way to do this is through creating a relationship and trust between the therapist and the patient. The blog urges therapists to always ask and address the patients’ needs to keep the patient actively involved in their recovery. Physical therapists are given the job of aiding in a person’s recovery process. This means that as a Physical Therapist, you are able to watch a person slowly get better with the knowledge that you play a main part in their recovery. While seven years of college may be a lot of stress to endure, it is worth watching others return to their lifestyles, knowing you contributed. The second article, “The Physical Therapist- Patient Relationship Through the Years”, is about the impact a physical therapist can have on young patients such as children. Because Physical Therapy can be a long process, Pediatric Physical Therapists are given the opportunity to watch children grow up and fight their injuries and disorders. The relationship demonstrated in this article is like that of a parent/child relationship. The satisfaction in possibly changing a child’s life forever is incredible. My mother is still very close with the children she treated as a Pediatric Physical Therapist even now that the children are grown adults. She was given the opportunity to watch them grow up and develop into great young adults. Because of the amount of time therapists spend with their patients, and the connection they develop, I find Physical Therapy to be completely worth the work.