What is the difference between a doctor of physical therapy and a physical therapist?
The difference between physical therapist and doctor of physical therapy is education level. Doctor of physical therapy holds PhD in physical therapy while physical therapist have bachelors or masters degree. Also DPT has more career opportunities and can have his/her own practice providing physical theray services to patients. You can find out more about doctorate degree in physical therapy here.
Doctors of Physical therapy are licensed health care professionals who have achieved the highest level of education to evaluate and treat patients with neuromusculoskeletal impairments. Our team of Doctors is licensed to examine, evaluate and treat all aspects of the movement system and diagnose those movement impairments that may cause joint dysfunction and pain. Doctors of Physical Therapy examine various functions of the movement system such as range of motion, postural alignment, balance, and muscle strength in order to assess deficiencies that are causing the patient pain or are resulting in a decrease in movement and function.
Related Questions
- Can physical therapy be done by someone other than a licensed physical therapist? For example, can physical therapy be performed by a medical doctor or a physician assistant?
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- What is the difference between a doctor of physical therapy and a physical therapist?