Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with State laws, assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist. Generally requires formal training.

Other names for Physical Therapist Assistants: Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA), Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant (LPTA), Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), Physical Therapy Technican, Physical Therapy Technician, Rehabilitation Aide, Rehabilitation Assistant,

• Instruct, motivate, safeguard and assist patients as they practice exercises and functional activities.
• Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, and coordinating treatment.
• Administer active and passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, and heat, light, sound, water, and electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
• Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress, and report to physical therapist.
• Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, and vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
• Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
• Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, and supportive devices, such as crutches.
• Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.
• Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
• Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment.
• Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.
• Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, and slings.
• Administer traction to relieve neck and back pain, using intermittent and static traction equipment.
• Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, and filling out forms.
• Prepare treatment areas and electrotherapy equipment for use by physiotherapists.
• Perform postural drainage, percussions and vibrations, and teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions.

• Pelvis or back traction supplies
• Personal computers
• Walkers or rollators
• Walkers or rollators
• Plumb bobs
• Oxygen therapy delivery system products accessories or its supplies
• Patient height rulers
• Powder boards for rehabilitation or therapy
• Medical staff isolation or cover gowns
• Pulse oximeter units
• Canes or cane accessories
• Reachers for the physically challenged
• Walkers or rollators
• Reflex hammers or mallets
• Patient care beds or accessories for specialty care
• Back or lumbar or sacral orthopedic softgoods
• Protective gloves
• Goggles
• Vascular sequential compression devices or tubing
• Short wave diathermy units
• Canes or cane accessories
• Patient shifting boards or accessories
• Arm orthopedic softgoods
• Orthopedic splint systems
• Patient care beds or accessories for specialty care
• Patient care beds or accessories for specialty care
• Pedal exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
• Patient stretchers or stretcher accessories
• Medical staff isolation or surgical masks
• Therapeutic balls or accessories
• Tablet computers
• Resistive exercise bands or putty or tubing or accessories for rehabilitation or therapy
• Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packs
• Patient care beds or accessories for specialty care
• Patient lifts or accessories
• Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation units
• Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packs
• Continuous passive motion CPM devices or accessories
• Crutches or crutch accessories
• Desktop computers
• Digital cameras
• Electromyography EMG units or accessories
• Work tables or stations or accessories for rehabilitation or therapy
• Exercise trampolines
• Weights or sets or accessories for rehabilitation or therapy
• Walkers or rollators
• Neuromuscular stimulators or kits
• Gait belts for rehabilitation or therapy
• Goniometers
• Wrist exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
• Walkers or rollators
• Mats or platforms for rehabilitation or therapy
• Galvanic or faradic stimulators
• Patient lifts or accessories
• Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
• Physiological recorders
• Electrotherapy combination units
• Vascular sequential compression devices or tubing
• Electrotherapy combination units
• Knee braces or hinged knee supports
• Hydrotherapy bath or tank accessories
• Lower body resistance machines
• Electric vibrators for rehabilitation or therapy
• Chest percussors
• Mechanical stethoscopes or accessories
• Medical nasal cannulae
• Therapeutic balls or accessories
• Notebook computers
• Therapeutic paraffin baths or accessories
• Parallel bars for rehabilitation or therapy
• Positioning devices
• Treadmill exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
• Ultrasonic therapy apparatus or supplies
• Ultraviolet UV lamps
• Upper body resistance machines
• Digital camcorders or video cameras
• Wheelchairs
• Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
• Orthopedic splint systems
• Lower extremity prosthetic devices
• Orthotics or foot care products
• Upper extremity prosthetic devices
• Automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
• Back or lumbar or sacral orthopedic softgoods
• Balance beams or boards or bolsters or rockers for rehabilitation or therapy
• Balance beams or boards or bolsters or rockers for rehabilitation or therapy
• Lower extremity prosthetic devices
• Blood pressure cuff kits
• Skinfold calipers
• Cardiac output CO monitoring units or accessories
• Head or neck traction supplies

Office suite software

Accounting software

Action games

Word processing software

Calendar and scheduling software

Spreadsheet software

Data base user interface and query software

Medical software

Electronic mail software