Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
<ul><li>Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.</li><li>Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.</li><li>Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.</li><li>Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.</li><li>Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.</li><li>Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.</li><li>Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.</li><li>Test and measure patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency and record data.</li><li>Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.</li><li>Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.</li><li>Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.</li><li>Direct, supervise, assess, and communicate with supportive personnel.</li><li>Inform patients and refer to appropriate practitioners when diagnosis reveals findings outside physical therapy.</li><li>Provide information to the patient about the proposed intervention, its material risks and expected benefits, and any reasonable alternatives.</li><li>Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.</li><li>Provide educational information about physical therapy or physical therapists, injury prevention, ergonomics, or ways to promote health.</li><li>Administer treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet or infrared lamps, or ultrasound machines.</li><li>Teach physical therapy students or those in other health professions.</li><li>Refer clients to community resources or services.</li><li>Evaluate, fit, or adjust prosthetic or orthotic devices or recommend modification to orthotist.</li><li>Conduct or support research and apply research findings to practice.</li><li>Participate in community or community agency activities or help to formulate public policy.</li></ul>