Examining Physical Therapy in Detail

Physical therapy became an existing treatment as early as the 5th century. The earliest documented history of when physical therapy began as both a treatment method but also a career was in the late 1800s, which was when the nurses from England established the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (Eugene Physical Therapy, 2011). For over more than a century and since its development, physical therapy has expanded with multi-faceted treatment regimens, as well as various opportunities for careers in this field. Physical therapists are responsible for a wide array of disabling conditions; some of these conditions include: arthritis, cerebral palsy, fractures, head injuries, etc. With these conditions, the physical therapist would be responsible for restoring function, improving mobility, and allowing the patients to perform daily activities of living with an optimal level of function. According to Dawn Rosenburg McKay (2010), physical therapy has been on demand, in which there were approximately 185,000 jobs taken as physical therapists in 2008. Physical therapists have an option to either work in an actual hospital setting, but they can also work in private offices. Based on the year 2009, McKay states that the median annual income of a physical therapist was at about $75,000 dollars. The physical therapist that was interviewed is Suanna Wong. She has been working as a physical therapist for 10 years. The questions used in the interview with Suanna were divided into two sets. the first set of questions were based on finding out her reasons for becoming a physical therapist and how the process of achieving a degree in physical therapy was for her (example: length of time spent to complete degree in physical therapy). The second set of questions focused on Suanna's current career and focuses on the content of her typical working