Bachelor of Physiotherapy or BPT is one of the emerging fields in allied medical science in the last decade. It has become one of the popular course that is opted by many students who are interested in medical science. The students who couldn’t join MBBS due to various reasons are shifting their focus to physiotherapy course. Getting a medical seat is very difficult but it is an easier affair to join a physiotherapy course.

The changed lifestyle and working style of today’s generation has resulted in many people in developing some physical problems and are looking out for skilled physiotherapists for treatments. This has created a huge job opportunity and good number of career roles in the field of physiotherapy. Today the physiotherapists are earning good money when compared to doctors in the health sector.

Let’s try to understand some of the important job roles that pay physiotherapy students a good earning potential and good money.

1. Physiotherapist

The physiotherapists help patients with physical difficulties resulting from illness, injury, disability or ageing. They help them to improve their movements and reduce the risk of further problems arising in the future. As a physiotherapist one will meet the patients to assess their physical problem/disorder. After performing the diagnosis, the physiotherapists will design and review appropriate treatment programmes using a range of techniques Including manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and electrotherapy, etc.

Physiotherapist Duties 

As a physiotherapist one is needed to:

• Work with patients who have range of conditions, including neurological, neuromusculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory sometimes over a period of weeks
• Diagnose, assess and treat their physical problem/condition
• Develop and review treatment programmes that encourage exercise and movement by the use of range of techniques
• Involve parents and carers in the treatment, review and rehabilitation of patients
• Educate patients and their carers about how to prevent and improve condition
• Write patient case notes and reports and collect statistics
• Coordinate with other healthcare professionals to exchange information about the background and progress of patients as well as to refer patients who require other medical attention
• Keep up to date with new techniques and technologies available for treating patients

Earning Potential

The starting salaries for qualified physiotherapists range from 4 lakhs to 6 lakhs per annum. The senior physiotherapists can earn between 5 lakhs to 10 lakhs per annum. They can earn even more by freelancing and by clinical practices

2. Personal Physiotherapist Trainer

Personal physiotherapist trainers help others to achieve their fitness goals using physiotherapy techniques. It’s an ideal career for anyone who is passionate about staying fit and healthy. A personal physiotherapist trainer creates different fitness programmes for their clients motivating and guiding them to achieve their goals.  A personal physiotherapist trainer creates treatment modules based on physiotherapy techniques.

Personal physiotherapist trainer duties

As a personal physiotherapist trainer, one is responsible to:

• Conducting fitness assessments to establish client fitness and skill level
• Holding one-on-one group sessions with clients
• Identifying goals and creating tailored exercise plans using physiotherapy techniques
• He/she is responsible for monitoring their client’s progress
• Providing advice to clients on health, nutrition and lifestyle changes
• Educating and advising clients on benefits of physiotherapy
• Educating and advising clients to maintain or reach their fitness goals and health goals
• Keeping up to date with the latest techniques of physiotherapy
• Provide innovative and challenging physiotherapy exercises to keep the clients engaged and motivated

Earning Potential 

The starting salaries for qualified personal physiotherapist trainers range from 5 lakhs to 7 lakhs per annum. While experienced physiotherapists can earn between 7 lakhs to 9 lakhs per annum. They can earn even better by freelancing and clinical practice.

3. Acupuncture Physiotherapist

As an acupuncture physiotherapist one will use his/her non-judgemental nature to put clients at ease and restore the body’s natural healing process by using acupuncture physiotherapy techniques. An acupuncture physiotherapist is a complementary health practitioner who takes a holistic approach to the maintenance of health and management of diseases using various treatment methods of acupuncture physiotherapy. Their focus is on the individual rather than the illness and their aim is to improve client’s overall wellbeing by providing treatments based on acupuncture physiotherapy techniques.

Acupuncture Physiotherapist’s duties

As an acupuncture physiotherapist one is needed to:

• Carry out an initial consultation with each client, in order to establish a detailed case history, assess their health and determine a treatment plan
• Conduct subsequent one-to-one treatment sessions, lasting between 45 minutes to an hour
• Explain the diagnosis and treatment to the client and respond to their questions and concerns
• Give treatment by using acupuncture physiotherapy procedures and stimulate the energy flow along meridians
• Assess client’s progress through questioning and examination, reviewing treatment plans if necessary
• Keep updated with  latest techniques that are available in acupuncture physiotherapy field

Earning Potential 

The starting salaries for qualified fresh acupuncture physiotherapists range from 4 lakhs to 8 lakhs per annum. The experienced physiotherapists can earn between 8 lakhs to 12 lakhs per annum. In both the cases they can earn even better money if they engage in freelancing and set up clinical practice.

4. Sports Therapist

As a sports therapist one may see a range of sporting injuries and he/she is required to provide treatment, rehabilitation and support and give advice on prevention to the sports person. The sports therapists use a range of techniques and modalities to make sure the people involved in sports are exercising and training and competing safely. The sports therapists are responsible to provide an immediate response when sport exercise related injuries occur and will have to rehabilitate the patient back to attain full fitness.

Sports Therapist’s duties

As a sports therapist one is responsible to:

• Conduct a fitness level assessment on people involved in sport and exercise and advice on exercise prior to an event of fixture
• Test joints for ease and range of movement, pain and dysfunction
• Mentally and physically prepare sports people before a competition and use strapping, taping and massage techniques where necessary
• Provide emergency aid in a sport and exercise environment
• Examine and assess injuries and determine whether the sport and exercise participant can continue safely with the event or activity
• Treat and mobilise injuries to alleviate pain
• Rehabilitate injuries by using manual therapy techniques
• Design and monitor rehabilitation programmes appropriate to the injury and sport and level
• Decide and monitor rehabilitation programmes appropriate to the injury and or sport and level
• Decide whether extra treatments are needed and coordinate referrals to other practitioners
• Work alone with coaches, trainers and fitness advisers to implement exercise, conditioning, core stability and injury prevention programmes so that sports people reach and maintain peak performance
• Coordinate with other healthcare professionals in the sports sector and in mainstream medicine

Earning Potential

A fresh sports physiotherapy professional will earn around 5 lakhs to 9 lakhs per annum as a sports therapist. The experienced professionals will be earning around 9 lakhs to 15 lakhs per annum. They can even earn better if they practice freelancing and clinical practice.

5. Chiropractor

As Chiropractor uses physical manipulations, massage and rehabilitation exercises to treat patients with a range of conditions, often related to the spinal cord. The chiropractors apply specific force to free joints in the spine and other joints of the body with non-invasive techniques. These chiropractors are responsible to relieve pains, increase mobility and to get patients back to full health and movement.

Chiropractor’s duties

As a Chiropractor one is needed to:

• Take detailed medical histories from the patients, including information on previous injuries, surgery health and lifestyle
• Conduct physical examinations focusing on the spine and posture and noting the range of movement
• Take and interpret x-rays if necessary
• Check blood pressure and perform other medical tests if necessary
• Make a diagnosis and explain to the patient
• Establish an appropriate treatment or management plan with the patient
• Perform adjustments of the joints of the spine and extremities using hands and specialised equipments
• Educate and advise patients on rehabilitation exercises to aid long-term recovery and techniques to ensure health is maintained
• Be updated with latest chiropractic techniques

Earning Potential

The fresh physiotherapy professionals as chiropractors will earn around 6 lakhs to 8 lakhs per annum as a chiropractor. The experienced professionals will be earning around 9 lakhs to 15 lakhs per annum. They can also take up freelancing and clinical treatment to earn better money.

Final Lines

The demand for physiotherapy professionals is gaining a lot of importance day by day. The field has diversified into various sub domains and new job roles are being created. The demand for physiotherapy professionals will continue to rise in the coming days. The changed lifestyle has resulted in various physical problems in people. 

So, they are looking out for the right candidates for treatments and this has created a lot of jobs in the field of physiotherapy. The skilled professionals are paid handsome salaries by healthcare organisations and are ready to offer excellent positions. They can earn even better with freelancing and clinical practice. The students who are interested in fitness and want to find jobs in physiotherapy can join the BPT course and earn better salaries by expecting better career growth.