THE PRACTICE OF

PHYSICAL THERAPY

PREPARED BY: Ms. Mary Joy Piñon, PTRP, MAOD

What is Physical Therapy?

 APTA defines physical

therapy as: "clinical
applications in the
restoration, maintenance,
and promotion of optimal
physical function."
 What is Physical Therapy?

 Based on Guide to
 Physical
Therapist Practice:

PT is a dynamic profession with an established theoretical

and scientific base and widespread clinical applications
in the restoration, maintenance, and promotion of optimal
physical function.
The Physical Therapist….

 Diagnose and manage

movement dysfunction and
enhance physical and
functional abilities
The Physical Therapist….

 Restore, maintain, and

promote not only optimal
physical function but optimal
wellness and fitness & optimal
quality of life as it relates to
movement and health.
The Physical Therapist….

 Prevent the onset, symptoms,

and progression of
impairments, functional
limitations, and disabilities that
may result from diseases,
disorders, conditions and
injuries.
 The terms “physical
therapy” and
“physiotherapy” and the
terms “ physical therapist
and ”physiotherapist”, are
synonymous
Standards of
Practice for
Physical
Therapy
Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

What do you mean by Standards of practice?

= profession’s statement of conditions and

performances that are essential for provision of
high quality professional service to society

= and provide a foundation for assessment of

physical therapist practice.
 Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy
APTA House of Delegates Standard S06-03-09-10

What is the commitment of the

profession to the society?

The physical therapy profession’s

commitment to society is to
promote optimal health and
functioning in individuals by
pursuing excellence in practice.
Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

 I. Ethical/Legal Considerations
A. Ethical Considerations
= Code of Ethics
= Standards of Ethical Conduct for
the Physical Therapist

B. Legal Considerations
= complies with all the legal requirements
of jurisdictions regulating the practice of
physical therapy.
Ex.: Having the License to Practice before
administering PT services to clients.
 Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

II. Administration of the Physical Therapy Service

 A. Statement of Mission, Purposes, and Goals
 reflects the needs and interests of the patients/clients
served, the physical therapy personnel affiliated with the
service, and the community.

 B. Organizational Plan = written

Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

 C. Policies and Procedures

= reflect the operation, mission,
purposes, and goals of the service,
= consistent with the association’s
standards, policies,positions,
guidelines, and Code of Ethics.

 D.
Administration= responsible for the direction of the
physical therapy service.
Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

 E. Fiscal Management
= Planning and allocation of resources
= Based on sound accounting principles

 F. Improvement of Quality of Care and Performance

=written plan for continuous improvement

 G. Staffing
= with competence and are sufficient to achieve
the mission, purposes, and goals of the
service.
Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

 H. Staff Development
= appropriate and ongoing staff development.

 I. Physical Setting
= safe and accessible environment that facilitates
fulfillment of the mission, purposes, and goals
of the physical therapy service.
= equipment is safe and sufficient to
achieve the purposes and goals of
physical therapy.

 J. Collaboration
= collaboration with all disciplines as
appropriate
Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

III. Patient / Client Management

 A. Patient / Client Collaboration
 Collaborative process of decision-making

 B. Initial Examination/ Evaluation/ Diagnosis /

Prognosis
 Documented, dated, authenticated by the PT
 Identifies PT needs of patient / client
 Appropriate tests & measures
 May result in recommendations
Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

 C. Plan of Care
 Manages the needs of the patient / client based on
examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, goals,
outcomes
 Involves the patient / client
 Goals and outcomes
 Documented

 D. Intervention
 based on examination….
 Modified according to the response
 Interdisciplinary when necessary
 documented
Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

 E. Reexamination
 As necessary to progress or modify the plan of care
 documented
 F. Discharge / Discontinuation of Intervention
 When anticipated goals and expected outcomes are achieved
 When patient is unable to continue
 When pt. will no longer benefit from PT

 G. Communication / Coordination / Documentation

 Dated, authenticated by PT who performed the procedure
Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy

IV. Education
 Individual professional dev’t
 Participate in the education of the students
 Educates & provides consultation to general public

V. Research
 Applies research findings
 Ensures that knowledge is current
 Educates students & general public on the outcomes

VI. Community Responsibility

 Participates in the community activities, educate the public
 Formulate public policy
 Provide “pro bono” PT services
Practice and Profession
 PT plays essential roles in prevention, health
maintenance, and programs that promote health
wellness and fitness in the community
 Develop standards for PT practice
 Develop health care policy to ensure optimal
delivery of PT services
Professionalism in
Physical Therapy:
Core Values
 Professionalism in
Physical Therapy:
Core Values

= what a Physical Therapist

should demonstrate in his
practice that would give
evidence to
professionalism.
 Professionalism in
Physical Therapy:
Core Values
(by APTA)

1. Accountability
2. Altruism
3. Compassion / Caring
4. Excellence
5. Integrity
6. Professional Duty
7. Social Responsibility
1. ACCOUNTABILITY

 Active acceptance of the

responsibility for the diverse
roles, obligations and actions
of PT
 Ex. Acknowledging &
accepting consequences of
actions
2. ALTRUISM
 The primary regard for
or devotion to the interest
of patients / clients

 Placing the need of the

patients above the
interest of the PT

 Ex. Providing Pro Bono

services
3. COMPASSION /CARING
 Compassion is the desire to
identify with or another’s
experience ; precursor of
caring
 Caring is the concern.
Empathy and consideration
for the needs & values of
others
 Ex.Designing programs
congruent to patient’s
needs.
4. EXCELLENCE
 A practice that consistently
uses current knowledge
 Embraces advancement
 Integrates judgment and
patient’s perspective

 Ex. Using evidence

consistently to support
professional decisions
5. INTEGRITY
 Steadfast adherence to high
ethical principles or professional
standards; truthfulness; doing
what you say you will do

 Being trustworthy
6. PROFESSONAL DUTY
 The commitment to meeting one’s
obligations to provide effective
physical therapy services to
patient, to serve the profession
and to positively influence the
health of the society.

 Preserving confidentiality of
individuals in all professional
aspect
7. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

 The promotion of a trust

between the profession and
the larger public that
necessitates responding to
societal needs for health and
wellness.

 Ex. Promoting volunteerism

SCOPE OF PRACTICE
of a Physical Therapist
(By APTA)

1. Examining :
= take history, systems review and
tests and measures
= of individuals with impairment,
functional limitation, and
disability in order to
determine a dx, prognosis,
and intervention.
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
of a Physical Therapist
3. Preventing Injury,
impairment and functional
limitation and disability,
including the promotion and
maintenance of health,
wellness, fitness and quality
of life in all age
populations.
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
of a Physical Therapist

2. Alleviating impairment and

functional limitation by designing,
implementing, modifying therapeutic
interventions that include:

 Ex. Therapeutic exercises, patient

instruction, home management
Roles of a Physical Therapist
Engage in examination


process

 Take patient’s history

 Conduct systems review

 Perform tests and measures

Roles of a Physical Therapist

 Establish diagnosis,
prognosis, plan of care

 Determine whether
the problem is within the
scope of PT
Roles of a Physical Therapist

 Provide interventions
Conduct re-examinations
Modify interventions

Develop and implement d/c

plans
Roles of a Physical Therapist

 PT can only be provided

by qualified PT’s or by PTA
working under the
supervision of a PT.
 Doctor of PT

Career Paths Masters in PT
of a Physical 
Bachelor’s degree in PT
Therapist

PT Assistant
(Associate degree in PT)

PT Aide
(High School Diploma & PT Aide
Training)
 Special Areas:

Career Paths Orthopedic PT

of a Physical Geriatric PT
Cardiovascular &
Therapist Pulmonary PT
Neurological PT
Pediatric PT
Sports Rehab PT
The Concept of Rehabilitation
 Rehabilitation medicine
seeks to maximize the
functional and
psychosocial abilities
of patients with
disability and improve
their quality of life.
The Concept of Rehabilitation
 It is concerned with the
three dimensions of
disability:
 Impairment
 Activity limitation
 Restriction in participation

And aims to reduce

impairment and prevent
or minimize the resulting
activity limitation.
Impairment

 Consequences of pathologic
conditions
 Are signs & symptoms (SSx)
 Abnormalities of structure or
function of a body system

 Ex. Pain, Hypertension, Muscle

Weakness
Functional limitation

 Are results of impairment

 Reduced ability of a person

to perform actions or
activities

 Occur at the level of the

whole person
 Ex. Limitation or difficulty in
standing up & sitting down
Disability

 Inability to perform or
participate in activities or
tasks related to one’s self,
home, work, recreation or
in the community perceived
as normal.
 Ex. Inability to enter public
offices due to present condition
Handicap

 Social disadvantage
resulting from impairment
or disability that prevents
or limits persons in their
occupation, environment
and social setting.
The Rehab Team
The Physician
The Physical Therapist

The Occupational

Therapist
The Speech-Language

Pathologist
The Rehabilitative Nurse

The Social Worker

The Clinical Dietician

The Rehab Team

 The Physician – leader, coordinate

 The Physical Therapist – treats movement
dysfunction
 The Occupational Therapist - addresses deficits
in self-care, home-making and work practices
 The Speech-Language Pathologist – deals with
communicative, cognitive and swallowing problems
The Rehab Team

 The Rehabilitative Nurse – primary educator of

patients and their families
 The Social Worker - offer counseling & support in
coping with emotional stress to prepare the patient
to return to community
 The Clinical Dietician – work with patients with
nutritional risk ; offer therapeutic diets
Different World Obligations of PT’s

The World Confederation for Physical

Therapy (WCPT) expects PT’s,
PT organizations to following
the ff. Ethical Principles:
 Ethical Principles
1. Respect the rights and dignity of
all individuals.
2. Comply with the laws and
regulations concerning the
practice of physical therapy in the
country in which they practice.
3. Accept the responsibility for the
exercise of sound judgement.
4. Provide honest, competent and
accountable professional services.
 Ethical Principles
5. Provide quality services./
6. Be entitled to a just and fair level
of remuneration for their services.
7. Provide accurate information to
patients/clients to other agencies
and the community about physical
therapy and the services PT
provides.
8. Contribute to the planning and
development of services which
address the health needs of the
community.
 END
______________

PREPARED BY: MS. JOY

Reference: www.apta.org
Therapeutic Exercises. Chapter 1. Kisner and Colby. 5th ed.