Physiotherapy is a primary healthcare profession which involves dealing with injured or ailing people for identification of the affected body parts and underlying conditions and assisting them to maximise the mobility and function of those parts. Physiotherapists work alone or as a part of a larger team to improve the quality of life of ailing people by helping them recover from injuries or other physical conditions.
A bachelor’s course in physiotherapy or BPT can introduce students to diverse and interesting career opportunities in clinical and non-clinical establishments. Read this blog to learn more about different lucrative career options in physiotherapy.
What is the career scope of a bachelor’s course in physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy constitutes as one of the primary healthcare professions alongside optometry and nursing. Hence, the scope of employment in this domain is humongous. Job guarantee and diversity in employment opportunities are few of the many career benefits with BPT course.
As a physiotherapist, you can seek interesting roles in fields like clinical electrophysiology, sports medicine, geriatrics, paediatrics, recovery and rehabilitation, occupational health, physical therapy, orthopaedics and stroke services. The employment prospects in physiotherapy are much less affected by economical changes and hence is considered more stable than other healthcare professions.
Here are some financially rewarding career roles with a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy.
- Athletic Therapists: This is primarily a freelance role where the physiotherapist works with different athletes to maintain their form and physical health and teaches them how to avoid injuries. They also develop different training programmes for speedy recovery, help them learn form-maintenance, assess and treat the current injuries and refer injured players to relevant specialists.
- Rehabilitation Assistant: Rehabilitation specialists are responsible for working with patients with chronic disorders such as arthritis to reduce their pain and help their immobile body parts regain movement. They also administer alternative treatments such as massages and electrical stimulation, monitor the patients’ responses, teach them exercise and provide the equipment required for the physiotherapy treatment. Rehabilitation assistants can be found in clinics, hospitals, hospices and retirement homes.
- Clinical Physiotherapists: Clinical physiotherapists work in clinical set-ups such as hospitals and nursing homes to provide hands-on treatment and assistance to recovering patients and design exercises and recovery plans to help them with their physical difficulties arising from specific illnesses, injuries, disabilities or ageing. This role is one of the most mainstream physiotherapy roles and ensures job security in any large healthcare set-up.
- Physiotherapy Technicians: Physiotherapy technicians work with clinical physiotherapists to supplement the physiotherapy treatment with alternative approaches like thermotherapy, massages and hydrotherapy. They are responsible for teaching the patients how to regain and maintain mobility through curated exercise routines and other activities. They are also in charge of developing a variety of equipment such as walking aids and mechanical lifts that can speed up the recovery process.
Rapid expansion of the global healthcare industry and ample research in the field have boosted the popularity of physiotherapy and made it an integral part of mainstream medicine and healthcare. They have also increased the employment opportunities for a physiotherapy graduate in this domain. Consider enrolling in a physiotherapy course to gain a respectable and financially rewarding career in the healthcare industry.