Kinesiotherapist: Job Duties, Career Outlook and Education Prerequisites
Do you want to help people live healthier lives? Do you enjoy developing exercise programs to enhance the strength, endurance and mobility of individuals who face movement challenges? Then you could enjoy being a kinesiotherapist. Read on to learn more. Schools offering Allied Health degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
What Does a Kinesiotherapist Do?
As a kinesiotherapist, also known as an exercise physiologist, you will work under the direction of a physician to treat the effects of disease, injury and congenital disorders through a combination of exercise and education. You will employ various treatment methods, including therapeutic exercise, ambulation training, geriatric rehabilitation, aquatic therapy, prosthetic and orthotic rehabilitation, in-home exercise therapy, psychiatric rehabilitation and driver training. As a registered kinesiotherapist, you can work in public and private hospitals, sports medicine facilities, rehabilitation facilities, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, learning disability centers, schools, colleges, universities, private practices and as an exercise consultant.
What Is My Career Outlook?
According to O*Net OnLine, kinesiotherapists are expected to see average job growth between 2008-2018 (www.onetonline.org). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) didn't provide more specific data for this field. However, the BLS did note that its occupational category of other therapists, which includes kinesiotherapists, earned an average annual salary of $51,980 in May 2010 (www.bls.gov). The average starting salary for a kinesiotherapist ranges from $32,5000 to $38,000, according to a 2008 American Medical Association report (www.ama-assn.org).
What Education Prerequisites Do I Need?
To become a kinesiotherapist you must pass a kinesiotherapy program from a university accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. The programs are typically four to five years to complete and require 128 semester hours. You may be required to take basic coursework in human anatomy, exercise physiology, therapeutic exercise, gerontology, kinesiology, neurology, pathology and ethics. Once you have completed a kinesiotherapy program you can take the American Kinesiotherapy Association exam to become a registered kinesiotherapist.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:
Subscribe to RSS feed for
Physical Health Career Profiles
