Why Physical Therapists are Different from Massage Therapists

       Touch is a very important part of human contact. It helps us feel connected and loved by those around us. Massage uses touch through rubbing or kneading of parts of the body to aid circulation, relax the muscles, or provide sensual stimulation. Massage is one of the oldest, simplest forms of therapy. The basic goal of massage therapy is to help the body heal itself and to increase health and well-being.
       Sometimes, people tend to equate physical therapists with massage therapists because both professions perform massage. What are the differences between the two professions? Why should people not call physical therapists as masseurs and massage therapists as physical therapists?


Massage Therapists

       A massage therapist is a professional who performs massage and bodywork. The field of massage therapy is quite large, running the gamut from therapists who perform basic Swedish massage to people trained in more esoteric fields like trigger point. A massage therapist's goal is usually to relax his or her client while promoting general health and well being. Some branches of massage therapy are focused on treating specific health conditions, and on addressing congenital muscular problems.
       People have been performing massage and bodywork on each other for thousands of years. A friendly human touch is believed to be important to psychological as well as physical health. Several cultures have developed their own distinctive branches of bodywork, such as lomi lomi in Hawaii and Shiatsu in Japan. Bodywork is often integrated into a greater holistic healing practice, like Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many people around the world consider massage as an important part of their personal health and beauty regimen.

       As part of a massage therapist's job, he or she works with a wide range of clients. Many people seek massage therapy purely for relaxation and comfort, but some people come to a massage therapist for deeper work. A massage therapist uses his or her training to treat clients on an individual basis. He or she may work as a freelancer or in a spa or medical clinic, charging varying fees for different services. Some therapists offer additional services like facials, and body treatments to supplement their massage practices.
       Training requirements to become a massage therapist vary; some regions regulate massage closely, while in others licensing is more lax. Many schools of massage offer basic certification programs which can be built upon to learn additional techniques like deep tissue massage or traditional massage like Thai massage or acupressure. Training also includes a familiarity with the anatomy and physiology of the human body, and a discussion of unique conditions which concern massage therapists, ranging from muscular tension to cancer. A good massage school also offers workshops in ethics and business practices.

Physical Therapists

       Physical therapists are licensed professionals who work with people that have sustained disabilities, impairments, or limitations in their overall physical function. These deviations can be the result of disease, injury, or pathological processes. Physical therapists examine, evaluate, diagnose, develop treatment plans, and provide prognosis for each patient on an individual basis. Through the modalities of exercise, mobilization, manipulation, heat, cold, and electrical stimulation, physical therapists work to restore function, improve mobility, and decrease pain with the goal of re-establishing a patient’s prior functional level.
       Physical therapists focus on the evaluation of strength, balance, range of motion, co-ordination, endurance, and posture of each individual patient. From this initial examination, the physical therapist then develops a treatment plan specific to correcting pertinent physical findings. Each patient’s individual treatment plan is geared toward reaching specific rehabilitation goals that are set by the therapist and the patient together as a team. However, the physical therapist will help in determining realistic goals through their knowledge of pathology and prognosis.
       Rehabilitation strategies often involve specific exercises to stretch and strengthen muscles as well as to improve posture, balance, and endurance. Physical modalities including heat, cold, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation are also incorporated into most treatment sessions. Traction machines and massage are two other valuable techniques for functional improvement and pain reduction. Assistive devices such as crutches, canes, and walkers are often used to increase patient independence.
       Over the course of the rehabilitation period physical therapists document progress, re-evaluate physical findings, and modify treatment strategies as appropriate. They often work as a team with a variety of other professionals including physicians, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and recreational therapists all with the same goal of reaching maximal patient functional independence.
      In order to work as a physical therapist, one must first graduate from a physical therapist educational program with a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree. Coursework includes biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as specialized courses such as biomechanics, neuroanatomy, human growth and development, manifestations of disease, examination techniques, and therapeutic procedures. In order to practice, graduates from physical therapist programs must pass national and state licensing exams. In order to retain their licenses, many states require PTs to take continuing education classes and attend workshops.
       On a typical day a physical therapist will:

• examine patients' medical histories
• test and measure the patients' strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function
• determine patients' ability to be independent and reintegrate into the community or workplace after injury or illness
• develop treatment plans describing a treatment strategy, its purpose, and its anticipated outcome