What does a physiotherapist do and how much does he earn?

What does a physiotherapist do? This question is the starting point for exploring the fundamental role played by these professionals in healthcare.

The profession of physiotherapist plays an essential role in healthcare, focusing on the rehabilitation and treatment of physical problems that affect mobility and quality of life.

Today we're going to find out more about the role of this professional, where they work and how much someone in this field earns.

What does a physiotherapist do?

It's important to know what a physiotherapist does in order to better understand when you should seek their help.

Physiotherapists are professionals who prevent, diagnose and treat problems related to the body's functions and movements.

He will have to analyze reports and interpret them in order to identify the appropriate treatment and apply it to the patient.

Based on examinations and the diagnosis, they can propose and initiate personalized treatment plans that may involve exercises, massages, the use of devices and many others.

They will work together with other doctors from other specialties to ensure a complete approach to the patient.

Physiotherapist activities

The activities of physiotherapy professionals include physical assessment, diagnosing dysfunctions, prescribing exercises, treating injuries and illnesses, rehabilitating post-surgical or post-traumatic patients and preventing injuries.

The field of physiotherapy is broad and covers a variety of situations, from recovery after surgery to the treatment of sports injuries, neurological disorders and chronic conditions.

The therapeutic approach and the set of techniques used can vary according to the patient's condition and the aim of the treatment.

Check out the activities in more detail:

Physical assessment

One of the main activities is to assess patients in order to identify muscular, joint, neurological and functional problems. 

During the assessment they can examine your range of movement, muscle strength and balance, as well as other related factors.

It is on the basis of this assessment that a diagnosis can be made and the causes identified.

Development and execution of treatment plans

It is also part of a physiotherapist's routine activities to develop personalized plans for patients, based on a physical assessment.

In this plan, treatments are prescribed which can be very varied, involving different machines, elements or just the movement of patients.

The plan should also be used to carry out these therapies, which usually take place in physiotherapy sessions. During these sessions, professionals will guide patients through what needs to be done and observe how they are doing.

Regular monitoring of patients' progress is carried out, during which time the physiotherapists make adjustments according to the needs and progress of the treatment, as well as documenting these changes.

Patient education and prevention

As well as providing practical physiotherapy treatment, the professional can provide guidance to patients, teaching them about self-care and exercises that can be done at home.

They can also offer guidance on how to prevent injuries, an activity that can be done for companies, teaching correct posture and ergonomic practices.

The physiotherapy faculty

To become a physiotherapist you need to have a degree in physiotherapy, a higher education degree that lasts 5 years, or 10 semesters with a workload of 4,000 hours.

The course can be found in public or private higher education institutions, where students will learn about numerous subjects related to their field.

Its subjects are geared towards the health area, such as anatomy, physiology and biomechanics to learn more about how the body works, its joints and possible movements.

The subjects on the curriculum will focus on four main areas:

• Biological and health sciences;
• Social sciences and humanities;
• Biotechnological knowledge;
• Physiotherapeutic knowledge.

Registration for physiotherapists

According to Law No. 6.316, established in December 1975, it is mandatory for physiotherapists who want to act regularly as professionals in the field of physiotherapy or occupational therapy to be registered.

Therefore, only professionals registered with the CREFITO (Regional Council for Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy) will be able to practice their profession.

In order to work in the field, you must be registered with the CREFITO in the region where you live, and you must present the right documents at the time of registration.

The documents required are a voter's registration card, photo ID, graduation diploma, two 3×4 photos, proof of exemption from military service and a birth or marriage certificate.

This registration will be valid for 5 years, and when you renew it you have to pay a fee and bring your documents again.

How much does a physiotherapist earn?

The salary of a physiotherapy professional can vary according to the region in which they work, the establishment in which they work and even their specialization in physiotherapy. post-graduation.

Physiotherapists can work in clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation centers or as self-employed professionals.

According to Vagas.com, a well-known website in the professional market, physiotherapists can start with salaries of around R$2,029 and reach R$3,535 in Brazil.

In addition, he provides data showing that the average salary for physiotherapists in Brazil is R$2,773.

But we're also bringing you data from Glassdoor, another well-known website when it comes to salary averages and the professional market.

For this average salary, Glassdoor considered 1790 salaries from different companies, from the professionals who provided the information.

And the average is R$6,000 a month, with the lowest pay being R$1,050 and the highest R$11,100.

Salaries for physiotherapists can vary according to a number of factors, which is why we see such fluctuations.

Remember that if you are a self-employed professional, you can set your price according to demand, types of treatments and other factors.

Now that you know what a physiotherapist does, you can find out if you're interested in this course or not, and you can also find out more about what professionals in this field can do.