How to Become a Physiotherapist: Your Full-on Detailed Manual

It is unfortunate that in India very few people are aware of the field of Physiotherapy and do not acquire much information about career prospects. But to embark on a career in physiotherapy can be a wise decision since it can open up many vistas and provide good job opportunities. So, do you want to know how to become a Physiotherapist? We will help you… Physiotherapy is a field about which a person needs to be really passionate and have it first implemented in his or her life to bring about improvement in others’ lives.

Physiotherapy is the science of curing illness or disabilities acquired from birth, injuries, or other mishaps. This is achieved through movement-based therapies, manual therapy, exercise, counseling, and education or awareness about the body. They have a cure for neurological, neuro-musculoskeletal (e.g. arthritis, injuries, back pain), and respiratory and cardiovascular-related ailments. So, a physiotherapist has to be in love with human anatomy and understand the prerequisites of a fit body.

Nowadays people even approach physiotherapists before pregnancy, before venturing into adventure tours or sports activities because physiotherapists can not only cure existing disabilities but also help in normal activities to be performed better with more fitness and readiness for any stress or calamity.

Without further ado… Let’s get started…

Who is a physiotherapist?

As a physiotherapist, you will help improve movement in patients facing physical difficulties that happen as a result of illness, injury, disability, or aging. Physiotherapists help ease the pain of the patients.

In this profession, you’ll devise, administer, and execute treatment programs like massages, therapeutic exercises, electrotherapy, etc. You’ll also be responsible for evaluating treatment methods at each stage and adjusting them to attain maximum relief.

You will assess, plan and organize rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, and will be responsible for carrying out programs that help increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury, based on the patient’s medical history & informed consent.

Why become a physiotherapist?

There are many reasons why someone might choose to become a physiotherapist. Here are a few:

1. Desire to help others: Many people are drawn to physiotherapy because they want to make a positive impact on other people’s lives. As a physiotherapist, you have the opportunity to help people overcome injuries, illnesses, and disabilities, and to improve their overall quality of life.
2. Interest in human anatomy and movement: Physiotherapists work closely with the human body, helping people to move and function more effectively. If you have a fascination with how the body works and enjoy learning about human anatomy and physiology, physiotherapy could be a great fit for you.
3. Variety of work settings: Physiotherapists can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, schools, sports teams, and private practices. This provides a lot of flexibility in terms of where you can work and the types of patients you can help.
4. Job security: The demand for physiotherapists is growing, due to an aging population and an increased focus on preventive healthcare. This means that physiotherapists can enjoy good job security and a stable career.
5. Personal fulfillment: For many people, working as a physiotherapist is personally fulfilling. The opportunity to help people improve their health and well-being can be very rewarding and can give a sense of purpose and meaning to your work.

What does a physiotherapist do?

As a physiotherapist, you will have different roles and responsibilities based on your specialty and super specialty. Following is the list of a few roles and responsibilities across the specialties:

• Plan, prepare, organize, and administer individual treatment programs to aid physical treatment, improve movement, or lessen pain in patients.
• Examine patients and correlate data with medical history to lay out a diagnosis.
• Inspect treatment methods at each stage and adjust them to attain maximum relief.
• Keep track of the course that the illness takes, treatment, response, and progress in the patient’s case and record them.
• Obtain the patient’s informed consent to planned interventions.
• Test and document the patient’s strength, motor development and function, sensory perception and breathing, functional capacity, or circulation
• Instructing patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
• Administer manual therapy, massage, or routines to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity.
• Inform patients and refer them to requisite professionals if the diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy.
• Confer with the patient, and medical practitioners to plan the appropriate approach moving forward.
• Evaluate, fit, or adjust prosthetic or orthotic devices or recommend modifications.
• Conduct or support research and dish out training.

Popular specialization in physiotherapist

Below are a few career paths for physiotherapists before you understand how to become a physiotherapist:

1. Physiotherapist (Cardio-Pulmonary): It is an area of specialization under physiotherapy that deals with the treatment and rehabilitation of people suffering from ailments and injuries of the hearts and lungs. The conditions may be asthma, shortness of breath, and persistent of cough among others.
2. Physiotherapist (Musculoskeletal): Musculoskeletal therapy deals with the treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and conditions in muscles, joints, and soft tissue.
3. Physiotherapist (Neurological): Neurological physiotherapy aims to kick start neural responses in brains as treatment and response to neurological conditions such as stroke, and head and spinal cord injuries.
4. Physiotherapist (Orthopaedic): Orthopaedic physiotherapy is concerned with the treatment of injuries or disorders of the skeletal system and associated muscles, joints, and ligaments. Orthopaedic Physiotherapy also includes pre and post-operative rehabilitation of the hip, shoulder, and knee.
5. Physiotherapist (Sports): This branch of physiotherapy is concerned with preserving the fitness, preventing injuries, and administering rehabilitative routines to athletes and other sportspeople.

How to become a physiotherapist – eligibility criteria

To become a physiotherapist, you need to consider the following educational requirements –

FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

After completing your junior secondary education, you have to pick Science with Biology in 10+2, after which you can enroll in a Bachelors of Physiotherapy (BPT) course in institutes across India. It is a 4-year course that is followed by six months of mandatory internship. Admissions to college are based on merit, or subject to the college’s discretion.

You can also go for diploma courses like Diploma in Physiotherapy and then make a Lateral Entry in BPT.

POST-GRADUATION

After graduation, you may choose to study further with a Masters’ degree in Physiotherapy (MPT), which is a two-year course and allows you to pick and emphasize an area of specialization such as orthopedic physiotherapy, neurological physiotherapy, musculoskeletal physiotherapy, and more.

If you wish to carry on with research in areas of your specialization, you can study further and go for a Doctorate in Physiotherapy (Ph.D.)

Top institutes and colleges

Here are some of the top institutes and colleges you may consider for becoming a physiotherapist-

Physiotherapy courses fees

The fees for physiotherapy courses in India can vary depending on the institution and location. Generally, the fees for a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) degree program can range from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2 lakhs per year, while the fees for a Master of Physiotherapy (MPT) degree program can range from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 3 lakhs per year.

However, it’s important to note that these fees are approximate and can vary depending on the institution, course duration, and other factors. It’s recommended that you check with the specific institution you are interested in to get accurate information about the fees for their physiotherapy courses.

Job Opportunities

After finishing your graduation/post-graduation degree in physiotherapy, you can get a job The entry-level jobs and profiles in these departments are subject to how advanced your qualification and skill is and are also subject to the area of specialization discussed earlier.

Following are some fresher jobs:

• Assistant Physiotherapist
• Sports Physiotherapist
• Fitness Assistant
• Self-Employed Private Physiotherapist
• Rehabilitative Physiotherapist

Some Organizations where you can find jobs:

• Private Hospitals
• Public Hospitals
• Educational Institutions
• Sports Teams
• Defense
• Rehabilitation Centres for Physical Disabilities

Salary of physiotherapist

A physiotherapist can expect to earn between 15,000 and 20,000 rupees to start, although this depends on the competence of individual professionals. There is also a lot of money in private practice, and it only gets better for the candidates as they gain the trust of patients and the goodwill spread by word of mouth to attract more patients to the clinic.

With the boom in the healthcare sector, there are other areas where these professionals are in high demand. A couple of years of dedicated work and some experience along with a master’s degree can lead a physiotherapist to earn up to Rs 25,000 per month.

Career Progression in Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a growing profession in India with a great demand for trained professionals. The career progression in this field is promising, and physiotherapists can have a wide range of opportunities to advance their careers. Here are some of the potential career progression paths for physiotherapists in India:

• Clinical Practice: Physiotherapists can start their careers by working in clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, sports clinics, and other healthcare facilities. As they gain experience, they can specialize in a particular area of physiotherapy, such as sports physiotherapy, pediatric physiotherapy, geriatric physiotherapy, neuro physiotherapy, or orthopedic physiotherapy.
• Teaching: Physiotherapists can also pursue a career in teaching by taking up teaching positions in universities or colleges that offer physiotherapy programs. They can also conduct workshops and training programs for other healthcare professionals.
• Research: Physiotherapists can undertake research projects in various areas of physiotherapy, such as biomechanics, exercise physiology, sports medicine, and rehabilitation sciences. Research can lead to the development of new techniques and tools to improve patient outcomes.
• Administration: With experience, physiotherapists can move up to administrative roles in healthcare organizations, such as a chief physiotherapist, manager of physiotherapy services, or director of rehabilitation services.
• Entrepreneurship: Physiotherapists can set up their own private practice or rehabilitation centers, where they can offer their services to patients and employ other physiotherapists.
• Government Jobs: The Indian government provides job opportunities for physiotherapists in various departments such as health, sports, and defense.

To advance in their careers, physiotherapists in India can pursue advanced degrees, such as a Master’s degree in physiotherapy, a Ph.D. in rehabilitation sciences, or a postgraduate diploma in specialized areas of physiotherapy. Additionally, they can attend conferences, workshops, and training programs to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in physiotherapy.

Epilogue

You will definitely get satisfaction in pursuing a career in physiotherapy. The profession requires you to remain physically fit as well, which would ensure you are in good health. The knowledge gained all throughout the course and throughout the work-life is excellent and vast. But then it can be less rewarding in terms of salary. The amount of money spent in acquiring the requisite degrees, cannot be paid off in recent years so quickly. And moreover, it is difficult to change your stream, once you are into a physiotherapy background unless you move up the managerial ladder.

The demands of physiotherapists are on the rise and with more awareness; the profession will get more recognition, not only in India but all over the world. It is true that in India, it is still a bit underpaid but one can definitely have a good work-life balance by joining as a physiotherapist in reputed government hospitals. This lucrative career is sure to keep you fit and happy from within, as this is a good service to mankind.

Need more help, connect with our industry experts. iDreamCareer always believes in helping young minds discover their true mettle. We try to help young confused minds from 9th class, 10th class, class 11, class 12 with an aim to select their most-suited career choices.

Also Read:

• Physiotherapy Course After 12th
• Career as a Physiotherapy Assistant
• Importance of Sports Physiotherapy
• BPT Courses
• Become a Mental Health Professional

Become a Physiotherapist: FAQs

Anushree Rastogi

Anushree has 4+ years of experience in the career counseling industry as a Senior Content Writer. She has also worked as a Social Media Marketing Expert for a startup and Content Quality Analyst for Publishing and E-learning Industry. She has done her Master’s in Commerce and PGDM in Finance & Trade and Marketing & HR, but she is currently following her passion for writing.