What does a Physiotherapist do?
- Physiotherapists provide services to individuals and populations to maximize movement and functional potential.
- They help people of all ages move and participate in life and in their communities. This includes considering the demands of daily living, and of occupational, recreational and sporting activities.
- They provide information, promote physical activity and prescribe exercise programmes. This encourages an active lifestyle and contributes towards the prevention of health disorders.
- In New Zealand patients or clients have direct access to physiotherapists. The physiotherapist must be competent in assessing, diagnosing, planning and treating patients with a wide range of conditions or diseases. This includes establishing treatment goals together with the patient/client, often in consultation with the whānau/family and caregivers.
- Excellent communication skills and respect for different cultures and communities are important attributes of physiotherapists.
As a physiotherapist you may practise in many settings, such as:
- Private clinics
- Fitness centres and with sports teams
- Hospital-based inpatient / outpatient facilities and intensive care units
- Rehabilitation centres
- Schools
- Rest homes
- In the community by visiting patients at home
- Industrial and other occupational environments
Your clients may include people with:
- Back pain or following injuries of muscles, bones or joints
- Neurological disorders such as children with cerebral palsy
- Head injuries or stroke
- Breathing disorders such as asthma
You may work within a team comprised of other health care professionals, which may include:
- General practitioners and medical specialists
- Occupational therapists
- Nurses
- Podiatrists
- Speech therapists
Once qualified, you may specialise in various fields. The following areas are recognized in New Zealand:
- Neurorehabilitation
- Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy
- Manipulative Physiotherapy
- Sports and Orthopaedic Physiotherapy
- Paediatric Physiotherapy
- Occupational Health Physiotherapy
- Hand Physiotherapy
- Women’s Health and Men’s Health
- Physiotherapy for Older Adults
Career pathways may also lead to education, academic, health promotion, research and managerial positions.
A career in physiotherapy offers many opportunities in national and international sectors. Further information can be found at Physiotherapy New Zealand
