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

Golf Fitness Professional Certification

TPI ↗

Hamstring Strains: Rehabilitation & Prevention of Hamstring Strains

Medbridge ↗

Many athletes are missing games secondary to hamstring muscle strains. This course will cover how to rehabilitate hamstring strains and prevent reoccurrence. Topics will include: reporting hamstring strain epidemiology, examining risk factors, providing evidence for prevention of both initial and recurrent injuries, and using current evidence in choosing a rehabilitation process. Additionally the course will show to use clinical milestones to progress athletes’ return to play.

Kettlebell Instructor Certification

American Sports and Fitness Association ↗

ASFA® specializes and tailors certifications for fitness and health professionals with online course convenience. Texts recommended to read prior to taking exam include Muscle Mechanics (2nd Edition), Functional Training, and Kettlebell Training. Use Discount Code CET10 to receive 10 percent off ASFA products and certifications.

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.

Movement Analysis and Dysfunction – Bulletproof Body Series

WebExercises ↗

This On Demand Course will provide you with philosophy and methodology used to progress clients. The approach focuses on using movement and conditioning to develop maximal healing and performance in individuals. Assessment strategies will be demonstrated to determine the nature and stage of the clients function, from low level mobility to high levels of performance. You will learn new, innovative ways to treat and train clients and to progress them from the treatment table to functional movement.

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.

Nutrition – Sports Nutrition Certification

American Sports and Fitness Association ↗

Texts recommended to read prior to taking exam include Performance Nutrition, Endurance Sports Nutrition, and Nutrition for Sport, Exercise, and Health,
Use Discount Code CET10 to receive 10 percent off ASFA products and certifications.

Pelvic Rehabilitation – Athletes & Pelvic Rehabilitation: Transitioning from a Local to a Global Systems Approach

Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute ↗

This two-day online course, developed by an instructor with extensive experience working with professional athletes, will cover an evidence-based, immediately-applicable skills related to pelvic floor rehabilitation for the athlete, covering treatment philosophies for the pelvis and pelvic floor and global considerations of how these structures contribute to human movement. Topics covered will include urinary incontinence, as well as the intricacies of athletic movement and how energy transference throughout the kinetic chain is crucial to rehabilitation approach, injury prevention and high performance.

Running Technique Specialist Certification (CRTS)

Romanov Academy of Sports Science ↗

The Certified Running Technique Specialist (Pose Method) credential is for any individual who wants to demonstrate a higher level of running technique instruction, coaching knowledge and ability. The purpose of the CRTS (Pose Method) is to ensure that an individual possesses the knowledge and competency required to teach and train clients safely and effectively. To attain this credential individuals must meet all eligibility requirements, pass the CRTS (Pose Method) examination, and commit to a standard of professional practice. As the demand for skilled Technique Specialists is at a critical level due to increase in movement related injuries and increase in numbers of participants in athletic activities, practitioners who hold the CRTS (Pose Method) certification are well positioned to provide the professional skills necessary to successfully lead and achieve positive results.

Ski Injuries – Preventing Ski and Snowboarding Injuries

WebExercises ↗

In this On Demand Course, Musculoskeletal specialist Naomi Albertson M.D. outlines common ski and snowboarding injuries, discussing their causes and explaining how many can be avoided by maximizing athletic performance. Special attention is paid to the roles training and nutrition play in maximizing athletic performance and helping to prevent injury on the slopes.

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.

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

Sports Medicine – Certified Sports and Orthopedic Manual Therapist (CSOMT)

Institute for Athlete Regeneration Education Systems ↗

IAR offers the only certification program for physical therapists that combines both a sports and orthopedic approach in patient management. The program allows clinicians to receive the benefits of advanced course work and clinical reasoning in sports and orthopedics while acquiring highly skilled manual therapy techniques. The curriculum is a combination of online workshops and live weekend intensives.

Sports Medicine – Emergency Medical Responder Sports Certification

Ask Aquire ↗

EMR Sports Certification is for clinicians who want specialize training in working sidelines at sporting venues or sporting events. This course integrates objectives from the American Red Cross and the most recent research and journals for emergency medical management for athletes. Upon completion of this course, you will be certified in Emergency Medical Response (EMR) with the option of being certified in American Red Cross CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers.

Sports Medicine – IAR Running Rehabilitation Specialist Certification (RRS)

Institute for Athlete Regeneration Education Systems ↗

This course will cover in depth all aspects of running that place these athletes at risk for pathology, including biomechanical movement impairments, training regimen, loading strategies, articular and soft tissue mobility deficiencies, nutrition, and performance training. The most current research will be presented and discussed in a clinically applicable format to allow the clinician to immediately integrate the information into practice. Upon successful completion, participants will become a certified Running Rehabilitation Specialist (RRS).

Sports Medicine – Sports Manual Therapy Certified (SMTC)

Institute for Athlete Regeneration ↗

The SMTC is a comprehensive course that provides the Professional and Amateur Sports clinician the opportunity to significantly expand their intervention options by exposing them to the most advanced manual therapy techniques and clinical reasoning specific to the sports population. In addition, the course presents emerging concepts to further enhance the athlete's recovery potential, increase athletic performance, and decrease injury risk.

Strength Training – The Eclectic Approach to Modern Barbell Therapy

Modern Manual Therapy: The Eclectic Approach ↗

Crossfitters, powerlifters, olympic lifters, strongmen, and weekend warriors who enjoy strength training are an underserved, misunderstood, and poorly managed patient population as many therapists just don’t have the understanding, experience, and expertise to serve them well. In this in-depth, 50 module digital course, Dr. Brett Scott educates clinicians on how to effectively evaluate, assess, intervene, manage, and successfully coach athletes back to training pain free.

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!