Physical Therapy Certifications

This month CE For Therapy has partnered with PESI Inc. to offer the online course Orthopedic Myofascial Certificate: Solutions for Pain, Posture & Mobility. Link to Course  Join Theresa Schmidt, PT, DPT, MS, OCS, LMT, CEAS, CHy to build a solid foundation in the leading soft tissue treatment techniques, including: Myofascial Release, Cupping, Trigger Point Release, Positional Release (strain and counterstrain), Foam rollers and Mobilization Tools, AND MORE!

CE For Therapy has an extensive database of Physical Therapy  Certifications, Methods, Techniques, Specialties, and Topics offered by Continuing Education Providers. If you are aware of additional Physical Therapy Certifications, Specialties, Methods, Techniques, or Topics that you think should be added, please contact us.

Physical Therapy Certifications and Techniques

Sports Medicine – Bike Fitting – Professional Bike Fitting Certification

Institute of Clinical Excellence ↗

This course will provide an evidenced-based and practical approach to the evaluation and treatment of the injured cyclist. Didactic lectures will focus on current literature pertaining to epidemiology, cycling mechanics, and bike fitting. A substantial portion of the course will be devoted to lab, so participants will be confident in performing a full bike fit by the end of the course. The overall course objective is to provide participants with the “whole picture” of rehabilitating injured cyclists with an emphasis on bike fitting. Link to Course

Sports medicine – Bike Hab: Exercises for Biking

MedBridge ↗

Bike Hab: Exercises for Biking. In this course the patient’s posture, mobility, stability, and even pedaling technique blend together to impact body stress during cycling. Clinical goals are developed for rehab in terms of posture and neuromuscular recruitment patterns, and to ensure that they are carried over to on-the-bike skills. Link to MedBridge

Aquatic Therapy & Rehab Institute Certification (ATRIC)

Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute ↗

ATRI’s Aquatic Therapeutic Exercise Certification is for competent, knowledgeable professionals in aquatic therapy, rehab and therapeutic exercise. The exam tests your ability to meet the Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Industry Standards to practice. Passing the exam will allow you to use the term “ATRI Certified” or the initials “ATRIC” after your name. The Certification Exam may be taken by anyone who has fulfilled the prerequisite of 15 hours of education in aquatic therapy and rehab. Link to Certification

Burns: Stop, Drop and Rehab

Liveconferences.com ↗

This interactive course is in movie format. This "hot" course is designed to provide education and management of the therapist working with burns with emphasis on burns affecting the hand and upper extremity. Education is provided on the varying degrees of burn injury; wound care and dressing techniques; management and rehabilitation of contractures as well as the unique role of the therapist as part of the burn team. Instructor is Jonathan Niszczak MS, OTR/L.
Link to Course

Sports Medicine – Runner’s Rehab Certificate: Reduce Injury and Increase Performance for Runners of all Ages & Abilities

PESI ↗

In this advanced skills training, you will be instructed in the proven, innovative techniques you have to have to identify and tackle the most common running injuries: heel-striking, arthritis, foot pain, and more. You’ll know the right questions to ask and the right ways to rehab your runners to get them back on the trail.

Nutrition – The Eclectic Approach to Modern Nutritional Rehab Online Certificate Seminar Series

Modern Manual Therapy: The Eclectic Approach ↗

Are you interested in learning more about nutrition? Help guide your patients to making good, healthy choices that will improve their quality of life and PT outcomes. Therer 3 online courses will cover the basics, assessment and prescription, and speciality areas of PT practice. Complete all 3 and earn your Certification in Nutritional Physical Therapy (CNPT)..

Cognitive Intervention – Functional Cognitive Intervention and Acute Care: From ICU to Acute Rehab

Education Resources, Inc. ↗

This Live Webinar course will provide therapists with assessment and intervention strategies to promote optimal functional cognitive recovery and outcomes in the ICU and acute care setting. Emerging evidence suggests that early cognitive intervention in acute care significantly reduces delirium incidence and duration as well as the adverse effects of surviving critical illness. This course will provide knowledge and tools for assessing, monitoring or improving key cognitive abilities in critically ill and acute care patients.

Nutrition – Pelvic Rehabilitation: Nutrition Perspectives in Pelvic Rehab (NPPR) – Remote Course

Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute ↗

This online course provides the health care professional with a unique and timely opportunity to explore multi-dimensional connections between physical therapy, pelvic rehabilitation, and nutritional sciences. NPPR is a 2.5-day content-laden and cutting-edge experience designed for clinicians ready to access organized and clinically relevant nutrition information accessible to all experience levels and practice settings. Participants will be introduced to the latest research in nutrition through immersive lectures and hands-on labs. The course will cover essential digestion concepts, nourishment strategies and the interconnected nature of physical and emotional health across the lifespan.

Neurological – Cerebral Palsy – KEYtoCP™: A Systematic, Intensive Treatment Model

Rehab Education ↗

Developed by Pia Stampe, PT, DPT, the KEYtoCP™ Treatment Model provides a comprehensive and completely unique treatment experience for every client and their family– to address their unique goals, and keep improving long after the intensive has ended. Participants will learn how to use this highly systematic approach to treatment of children with all types of cerebral palsy to jumpstart change, address how to avoid formation of maladaptive habits, and change maladaptive habits that have already developed. The KEYtoCP™ approach is firmly based on current brain research and knowledge about how to best harness the brain’s ability to change.Course is series of four 4-hour live webinars over 4 evenings, 15 contact hours – Live Interactive Webinar (via Zoom)

Kettlebells: An Introduction to Kettlebell Training

Therapy Network Seminars ↗

The KettleBall is a unique rehabilitation tool in its design and usage which will help to augment any sound rehabilitation program. This course is designed for rehabilitation professionals who have limited to no exposure to Kettlebells and wish to acquire a solid foundation for using KBs in rehabilitation. This course will go over the history of the KB, basic KB biomechanics, exercise physiology and the basic general lifts utilized in rehabilitation, as well as overall fitness and sports performance training.

Halo® Training

Merrithew™ ↗

A versatile training program and tool that promotes functional strength and stability for all of your clients – from post-rehab to elite athletes. Halo® Training is a multi-functional and three-dimensional exercise program that incorporates the science of core-integrated bodyweight training with the use of the Halo® Trainer Plus and Stability Ball™. The program offers exercises that follow unique progressions or regressions designed to increase functional strength and stability for a client at any level of condition from rehab through to athletic performance training.

Watsu® Applied Clinically

Aquatic Therapy & Rehab Institute ↗

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Review client case histories to determine appropriate application of forms and orientation of Watsu®. Learn how to be fully present with the person in your arms to promote trust and relaxation using optimum Watsuchanics. Learn how to optimize the water to minimize the impact on you. You will practice the footwork and arm positions to establish a strong foundation for more advanced Watsu® work. Learn multiple Watsu® positions and moves and the integration of those moves into a flowing sequence to apply in the clinical setting.

Aquatic Therapy – AquaStretch

Aquatic Therapy & Rehab Institute ↗

Introduction to AquaStretch Technique. AS is a new form of facilitated aquatic exercise that has been successful in treating various patient populations, including people with chronic pain, joint replacements, wellness participants, and elite athletes. AquaStretch™ theoretically breaks down fascial adhesions utilizing a combination of the facilitator / therapist’s manual pressure and the client / patient’s active movement. This one-day introductory AS course will cover the basic wellness applications. Topics include starting positions and grips for several AS techniques within the wellness program paradigm. Link to Aquastretch

Blood Flow Restriction Training

Smart Tools ↗

BFR is the act of safely restricting venous blood flow from a working muscle, but allowing arterial blood flow to that working muscle. Since the ability of that blood to escape is dramatically reduced, metabolic stress and cellular swelling are greatly increased. This course will cover the benefits of BFR training, contraindications to BFR and when and where it should be applied, how to safely screen and assess your patient/client prior to BFR, how to safely apply BFR cuffs for the upper and lower extremity, how to compare and contrast different uses of BFR from bed ridden to athletic performance training, and how to develop a rehab program for patients.
Link to BFR Courses

Kinesio Taping® Certification Course

Rehab Education ↗

25 contact hours (24 hours self-study/asynchronous and 1 hour live interactive/synchronous) Self-paced, hybrid online Kinesio® University approved Kinesio Taping® Certification Course provides an overview of the development of the Kinesio Taping® Method, fundamental concepts, assessments and screening tests, and introduces Kinesio® correction taping techniques, advanced techniques and clinical reasoning. Link to Course

Concussion Management – Complete Concussion Training Course For Physical Therapists (PT, DC, AT, etc)

Complete Concussion Management ↗

This course includes 12 lectures covering ALL relevant areas of concussion management, 40 hours of evidence-based video content, 1800+ references of the latest scientific studies, Video demonstrations of assessment & rehab techniques. Tips & tools for maximizing your concussion patient flow, Access to course instructors for Q&A. Total of 34+ CEU's, plus 60 Days FREE inside the CCMI Academy!
Link to Course

Tendonitis – Treating Tendonitis in the Upper Extremity

Rehab Education ↗

This hybrid online combined-concepts CE course will provide innovative techniques that can be used immediately with numerous “take home” tips and pearls. . Includes extensive demonstrations, lab and video evidence to present the concept of muscle imbalance and alignment. Focus on the agonist/antagonist muscle relationship, joint kinematics with movement as well as compensation movement patterns. Explore techniques on how to improve joint ROM, eliminate pain and sensitivity, and restore balance to the upper extremity.

Dry Needling Certification – Structure & Function Dry Needling (SFDN) Certification

Structure & Function Education ↗

The SFDN Certification provides the most comprehensive curriculum, including seven different Foundational and Advanced dry needling courses, Fascial Manipulation® by Stecco, Bridging the Gap from Rehab to Performance, and online education. Our certification program is unique and offers four different Tracks to choose from, allowing you to complete the Track that best fits you and your practice. For more information about the certification program and how to receive the SFDN designation, visit This Link

Piston Science – Diaphragm/pelvic floor piston for adult populations, online

Juliewiebept ↗

Piston Science is a new approach to adult rehab, recovery and return to fitness. The viewer is introduced to a dynamic team of muscles, inclusive of the relationship between the diaphragm and pelvic floor. That team works together to balance muscular forces and pressures creating an integrative model of dynamic central stability. Total run time for the online course is approximately 15 hours of content.

Sports Medicine – Baseball Overhead Athlete Certification

Hospital for Special Surgery Education Institute ↗

The HSS Rehabilitation Baseball Overhead Athlete Certification was developed for physical therapists and athletic trainers to master clinical skills related to the treatment and prevention of injury in the overhead athlete. Taught by experts at the #1 orthopaedic hospital in the world and guest faculty, you will gain proficiency and competency in throwing mechanics, examination, clinical decision making and return-to-sport principles.

Orthopaedic Proficiency Certification (OPC)

Upstream Rehab Institute ↗

This 5 course series is designed to develop the highest level of evidence-informed orthopaedic rehabilitation skills. A clinician with the OPC designation represents someone who is a movement expert, integrating advanced technical skills and pain neuroscience with comprehensive exercise prescription to skillfully manage patients along with the entire healthcare team. This certification is open to all clinicians, but specifically designed for physical therapy assistants and licensed athletic trainers. The course series culminates in a final comprehensive written and live practical examination.

Hand Therapy – Pediatric Hand Therapy and Orthotic Intervention for Musculoskeletal Conditions (hybrid online format)

Rehab Education ↗

This specialized, hands-on hybrid online CE course provides a valuable learning opportunity for therapists who are challenged by the orthopedic issues that arise when treating musculoskeletal conditions in a pediatric patient. In addition to didactic learning, you will enhance your clinical skills by fabricating 6 orthoses. Prior to the first Virtual Classroom Zoom meeting, you must complete 5 1/2 hours of recordings, case study assignments and fabricate several orthoses.

Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injuries – Treatment of Infants and Young Children (0-3) with Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injuries (Live Webinar)

Rehab Education ↗

This live interactive webinar (via Zoom) addresses all aspects of conservative and surgical management of Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Injury over the course of infancy and early childhood. The number of infants with OBPI has been increasing, posing new challenges to therapists working with the 0-3 population. participants will learn comprehensive examination and intervention strategies for each stage of recovery throughout infancy and early childhood. Presentation features videotaped demonstrations of specific examination tools and intervention strategies including traditional interventions as well as the use of state-of-the art technology.

Movement Analysis and Dysfunction – Custom Calibrated Resistance™ Specialist Certification

Ask Aquire ↗

CCR™ unlocks a whole new form of training that improves intensity, efficiency, and safety. Participants will Learn the science that supports Supramaximal Eccentric and Isokinetic Training and explore applications for all demographics ranging from elite athlete to post-op rehab. In the Lab portion of the course participants will apply these concepts with hands on movements that activate entire kinetic chains and demand increased neural drive and organization.

Kinetic Link Training – Level One (Strengthening Functional Movement)

Kinetic Link Training ↗

Study Anytime: Online / On Demand. Learn to design & deliver the most effective functional strength training programs by utilising an integrated approach to human biomechanics. Study the very latest functional strength training and movement restoration principles. Explore the evidence-based, time-efficient Kinetic Link Training system (KLT). KLT has been developed by Australian sports and exercise physical therapists as a unique training approach which focuses on developing strength and stability in integrated multi-planar movement patterns. KLT is incredibly adaptable for a wide spectrum of clients, from rehab patients through to elite athletes.

Manual Therapist Certification (CMT)

Upstream Rehab Institute ↗

The Comprehensive Manual Therapist Certification consists of 6 live weekend courses that culminates with a final written and practical exam. Coursework covers Comprehensive Management of all body regions, modern pain science concepts, and integration of exercise. The instructional focus is on developing as an expert general orthopedic physical therapist who combines advanced clinical reasoning with OMPT technical skills to skillfully screen, manage, and treat their patients.

Shoulder Function – Safely Improve Shoulder Function and Upper Extremity Strength with Suspension Exercises – Free Webinar

Redcord America ↗

Bands and dumbbells are often used to strengthen the upper extremity in both fitness and rehab. But often, clients with shoulder impingement or rotator cuff history plateau or fail to improve with these exercises. Join Exercise Physiologist Amanda Harris to discuss how you can use suspension exercise to improve the mechanics of the “modern” shoulder so the upper extremity can be properly strengthened without dysfunction or pain.

Wound Care – Certified Wound Therapist® (CWT)

International Lymphedema and Wound Care Training Insitute ↗

The Certified Wound Therapist® course includes comprehensive training in the assessment and treatment of the lymphatic-integumentary system.Phlebolymphedema is the number one cause of leg lymphedema. Are you prepared to provide comprehensive treatment, including management of venous leg ulcers (VLUs)? This course will show you how to differentiate and treat VLUs, arterial ulcers,pressure injuries, neuropathic foot ulcers, atypical ulcers, burns, moisture associated skin damage, and other integumentary issues. Extensive workshops enable you to get hands-on practice with integration of skin care, MLD, and lymph-integument rehab

Neurological – Stroke Rehabilitation Professional Certification (CSRP)

Evergreen Certifications ↗

Training Requirements:
A minimum of 18 hours of continuing education in specific stroke rehabilitation areas. Pre-approved, 3rd party trainings that meet the training requirements for CSRP certification include: Stroke Rehab Certification Course by PESI - Certification Included!
Link to PESI course

CE for Therapy presently features multiple providers that offer a wide variety of Physical Therapy Certifications, Methods and Techniques. Here are some brief descriptions of some of our favorites, taken from the Physical Therapy Certifications / Techniques appearing above:

Torticollis: Assessment and Treatment of Infants and Children Online Series, offered by Education Resources, Inc.,  is instructed by Cindy Miles, PT, PhD, PCS, NDT, a leading expert on torticollis and plagiocephaly, who discusses the increased incidence, etiology, and pathophysiology of this disorder. This course is chock-full of case studies and interactive at-home lab practice opportunities to provide the knowledge of effective assessment and treatment of children with torticollis. Evidence-based treatment strategies that can be integrated into routines and functional play will be provided as well as recommendations for follow-up. At-home labs are offered and can be practiced with a baby-doll or partner.

Swim Whisperers – Overcome Roadblocks for Aquatic Therapy offered by Swim Angelfish. This course dives into identification of the 14 most commonly seen roadblocks for swimmers with special needs. Connection between each roadblock to the underlying problem as a therapist along with learning a strategy to overcome the roadblock will be identified for clinical use. 2 Hour Online Course. Link to Course

3D Movement Analysis and Performance System (3DMAPS®) Certification,  offered by the Gray Institute, leverages movements that are authentic to everyday life by utilizing all three planes of motion. This system allows the practitioner to examine, evaluate, and treat patients based on the philosophy that the influence of one part of the body effects another. This 10-hour, 100% online Physical Therapy Certifications course is the perfect complement for physical therapists and other movement professionals.

Advanced Office Ergonomics Assessment Specialist Certification (AOEAS®), offered by The Back School, provides a comprehensive overview of the many causative factors of and solutions for the prevention of office musculoskeletal disorders. Using the OSHA survey tool the D-2, this Physical Therapy Certifications course certifies that you are able to perform an OSHA-compliant ergonomics analysis in multiple types of offices. Participants will learn to identify and resolve the common risk factors in today’s traditional and non-traditional office environments.

Process-Based Specialist in Movement & Pain (PSMP), offered by Dynamic Priniciples LLC, is a 90-credit hour online and live hybrid Physical Therapy Certifications program which can be flexibly completed over the course of 1 to 5 years. This course work is designed to help participants re-conceptualize movement, manual therapy, and pain science clinical understanding and interventions to current standards of science-based evidence, while simultaneously building up communication and behavior modification skills to help clinicians better work with clients and patients who struggle with movement and pain. In this process, clinicians are introduced to a biopsychosocial process-based framework called the Movement with Pain Framework (MWPF) to help them take on uncertainty and complexity with increased comfort. This coursework is combined with a portfolio review to encourage the clinician to incorporate different science-based perspectives from other educators within the domains of Movement, Manual Therapy, Communication, and Behavior. The program finishes with a capstone providing opportunities for both conceptual and experiential integration.

Geriatric Certification, offered by Evidence in Motion, offers PTs and OTs the opportunity to develop expertise in the clinical management of the aging patient population. The evidence‑based curriculum focuses on the development of clinical competencies in the treatment of older adults with functional and cognitive decline with the intention of returning patients to active and healthy lifestyles. Coursework for this Physical Therapy Certifications course consists of a dynamic combination of didactic, collaborative, and clinical education experiences using a blend of distance learning, online courses, and weekend intensive on-site courses.

Applied Functional Science Certification (CAFS®), Link to CAFS offered by the Gray Institute, was developed for movement professionals from all industries and from all levels. The program includes more than 25 hours of video content, testing, and supplemental documents to help you design and implement functional programs based on the needs, wants, and goals of each unique client. CAFS is entirely online and can be completed at your own pace. Once enrolled, the student will have access to the content for a period of three years and can continue to access the content to this Physical Therapy Certifications course even after completion.

Advanced Exercise Therapist Certification (AET) offered by the
Egoscue Institute, Link to EI will further develop your existing skill set. With your 5-year certification, you will be a health professional with a level of proficiency in the Method that very few have achieved. While this Physical Therapy Certifications course hits on a wide variety of topics, the program provides a particular focus on the gross anatomy knowledge needed for many of your therapeutic interactions.Practitioners with the AET Certification are the only students allowed to open an Egoscue Method facility. Link to Egoscue

Functional Manual Therapy Certification (CFMT), offered by the
Institute Of Physical Art, is an intense 4 days of review of 8 required courses, followed by 2 days of written and oral/practical testing. The Following is the required Physical Therapy Certifications course work: Functional Mobilization I, CoreFirst™ Strategies for Back Education and Training, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation I, FMT Foundations, Functional Mobilization II, Functional Mobilization Lower Quadrant, Functional Mobilization Upper Quadrant, and in addition, applicants must Attend Functional Gait.

The Human Movement Specialist (HMS) certification, offered by the Brookbush Institute, acknowledges that you have completed 80 hours (or more) of course work toward a growing expertise in human movement science. All courses are short (1 – 4 hours), you choose the courses you think are important to your current work environment, you get credit for each passed exam, there is no giant final exam at the end, no timelines and it’s all included in membership, with no additional fees. Link to Brookbush

In order to receive the Kinesio Taping® Practitioner Certification (CKTP), offered by Kinesio University, candidates must complete the Kinesio Taping Assessments, Fundamental Concepts and Techniques, and the Advanced Techniques and Clinical Reasoning Approved Seminars, and then must pass the online CKTP Exam with 80% or higher. The letters “CKTP” after a name ensure confidence that the practitioner has undergone the necessary training to integrate Kinesio Taping in to their practice.

More Physical Therapy Certifications and Techniques

Offers Physical Therapy Certifications

WoundEducators.com offers Physical Therapy Certifications. The PT Wound Care Certification Course Online Training Component contains 17 interactive modules that pertain to all areas of wound management and includes digital images, animated activities, and video clips that demonstrate important learning concepts. The Certification Training Kit has a current wound management textbook that reinforces online training, an Interactive CD containing case studies that allow you to apply your wound care knowledge through the diagnosis and treatment of patients, and a Wound Certification Study guide that includes an outline of each module and a note-taking area. The course requires 57 Hours to complete. Link to Cert Course

Constraint-Induced Therapy: Introduction to Modified Constraint-Induced Therapy
Offered by MedBridge. Link to MedBridge Learn the most well-known and intensively studied neurorehabilitative therapy, taught by one of its pioneers! Learn from Dr. Page, who was the first to develop and implement modified, distributed versions of constraint-induced therapy, and to show that this reimbursable outpatient approach changes the brains and movements of patients even decades after brain injury and stroke. In this introductory course, Dr. Page will introduce the rationale, scientific basis, and practical application of modified constraint-induced therapy into your clinic, including applications to the upper and lower extremities and speech.

Introduction to Musculoskeletal Imaging offered by Redefine Health Education

This course is designed for health professionals to enhance their foundational knowledge in diagnostic imaging modalities. The course focuses on a range of modalities including radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography. The course will convey the inherent statistical properties of each modality and how that impacts interpretations and clinical management. The course will instruct on radiologic verbiage to maximize the students’ ability to garner information from an interpretation and for inter-professional communication with radiologists. Students will also be taught a communication strategy with radiologists to improve the interpretation, improve the clinical correlation, and ultimately improve the management of the patient.

More Physical Therapy Certifications and Techniques

CLINICAL AI CHI©- Certification Course offered by Inertia Therapy Services

The basis of Ai Chi is it’s 19 kata’s: continuous movements that form a sequence with gradual increasing difficulty. There is no need to perform all movements. Different protocols exist, consisting of a choice of the 19 movements and/or a different amount of repetitions.
Clinical Ai Chi® is Ai Chi, which is used to solve a patient-specific problem. This mostly means that it is adapted to the possibilities of a person with a musculoskeletal and/or neurological problem. The elements of Clinical Ai Chi® should fit in a custom-made treatment program and be the result of a clinical reasoning process.

Certified Expert in Applied Geriatric Neurology offered by Great Seminars and Books

This 5-hour course is designed to extend and enrich learning in the area of geriatric neurology. Prerequisites: successful completion of (>80% correct on the post-test) of 5 of the following 7 courses:

• Gait & Balance: Not Falling for You
• Seating and Mobility: Choose the Right Path
• Wiihabilitation: You Never Knew Skilled PT Could Be This Fun
• Vestibular Rehabilitation: Does the Thought Make Your Head Spin?
• A Master Clinician Demystifies MS: Steps to Rehab Success for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
• A Master Clinician Confronts Stroke
• Neuro-Oncological Rehab: Head to Toe

Musculoskeletal (MSK) Soft Tissue Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Certificate offered by Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

The MSK Soft Tissue Clinical Certificate is appropriate for medical professionals whose scope of practice requires the evaluation of MSK Soft Tissue to identify Abscess, Muscle Tear, and other common pathologies. POCUS for the evaluation of MSK Soft Tissue is portable, allowing for real-time imaging and on-the-spot interpretation. Point-of-Care Ultrasound can be used by physicians, advanced practice providers (e.g., physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physical therapists), and other medical professionals who use POCUS for clinical evaluation or therapeutic decision making.

Frequently Asked Physical Therapy Certifications Questions:

How many years does it take to become a physical therapist?

Professional (entry-level) and Post-Professional (transitional) physical therapist education programs in the United States currently offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to all new students who enroll. The length of professional DPT programs is typically 3 years, and the curriculum that is offered is prescribed by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The course pre-requisites for admission vary significantly across PT education programs. PT programs may require preprofessional (pre-PT/undergraduate) science courses to be completed in a 4-year university/college within the 7-10 years prior to enrollment.

How do you become a certified physical therapist?

After graduation, Physical Therapists have the opportunity to become Board-certified Clinical Specialists through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). Specialty certification is voluntary, and Physical Therapists can become board-certified specialists in the following areas: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary, Clinical Electrophysiology, Geriatrics, Neurology, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Sports Physical Therapy, and Women’s Health.  Two avenues that are associated with significant PT Post Graduate Continuing Competency costs, are Clinical Residency and Clinical Fellowships.

A Clinical Residency is a planned program of post-professional clinical and didactic education for physical therapists that is designed to significantly advance a physical therapist resident’s preparation as a provider of patient care services in a defined area of clinical practice. A Clinical Fellowship is a planned program of post-professional clinical and didactic education for a physical therapist who demonstrates clinical expertise in an area of clinical practice related to the practice focus of the fellowship.

NEW ABPTRFE Policies

During the past year there have been several changes in the policies that the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) has put into place, that has caused some practitioners to be concerned about the basic survival of Residency and Fellowship programs.

ABPTRFE now has the following policies:

• Item 13.4 “Change in Curriculum” – requires a physical site visit for every additional participant practice site after the addition of a second new practice site in one calendar year.
• 4.2.4  Admission Criteria: requiring residency training, or American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) specialist certification– i.e. the elimination of the “Skills Track” as the third path for admission to a fellowship program.

Some practitioners are concerned that these new policies  threaten the future of post-professional residency and fellowship programs because they create divisiveness, disruption, and increased administrative burden in these clinical training programs. CE For Therapy will cover this issue on the “Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Programs Face ABPTRFE Mandated Changes” Post

LYFE Botanicals
10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric Curcumin Supplements. More Info

Check out our Physical Therapy Credentials page!