Top Universities to Study Physiotherapy in Australia 2020 - Excel Education | Study in Australia, Malaysia, the UK & Canada

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Do you know that physiotherapy was established in Australia after World War 1?

Many doctors were sceptical about using massage therapy treatment at the beginning of war. However, many soldiers required physical rehabilitation and thus, massage practitioners were able to demonstrate the effectiveness of their methods. By the end of 1918, physical therapy became widely known and at the end of 1930s, the term ‘physiotherapy’ was adopted.

But what exactly is physiotherapy and what does this treatment do? How does it help the soldiers?

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy also commonly known as physical therapy, is a science-based profession that takes a ‘whole person’ approach to health and wellbeing. This is a treatment to help people that are affected by illness, injury or disability through advice, movement, exercise and manual therapy.

Physiotherapists help to maintain health for people of all ages, help patients to manage pain and prevent disease. They will use their knowledge and skills to improve conditions related to different systems of the body such as:

Respiratory

asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis

Cardiovascular

treatment after heart attack, stroke

Neuromusculoskeletal

back pain, arthritis, sport injuries

Neurological

Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis

What are the common Physiotherapy treatments?

Soft Tissue Mobilisation

This is also referred to as therapeutic massage. This treatment helps relax patient’s muscles, reduce swelling, and circulate blood flow .This is the best treatment to relieve pain related to athletic injuries.

Range of Motion (ROM) Exercises

Physiotherapists will prescribe a range of motion exercises to promote movement, facilitate circulation and encourage joint mobility. This is to prevent atrophy or any other related postural problems and also improve patient’s flexibility and independence.

Electrotherapy

This is an electrical simulation where electrodes will be attached to the skin. The electrodes will help the muscle to shorten which will in turn prevent atrophy. This treatment is suitable for patients with paralysis or severe range of motion.

Cryotherapy and Heat Therapy

This treatment is using cold or heat to apply to patients’ affected areas. Cryotherapy is using ice packs while heat therapy is using hot packs to the patients. This treatment is usually suitable for people with desk jobs or professional athletes.

Therapeutic Ultrasound

This treatment is using sound waves to treat injuries in the body. The ultrasound frequency is targeting damaged tissue with soft beams and it will be absorbed by ligaments, tendons and fascia. This is suitable for patients with arthritis, tendonitis and muscle strain.

What are the skills required to be a Physiotherapist?

1. Empathy

Patients come in with low morale because they experience loss of control in certain areas of their physical health, which may make them feel insecure about their body. Therefore, you must have strong empathy feelings to help to restore back, not only their physical health but also psychological health.

2. Critical Thinking

You must be able to analyze and evaluate a patient’s situation in order to make a suitable diagnosis to treat the patients. You must be able to suggest appropriate treatments, actions, advice or therapy according to patients’ conditions.

3. Observational Skills

Different patients have different conditions and therefore, you must have strong observational skills to judge the severity of their conditions based on the gender, age and physical health.

4. Time Management

Normally, every session takes 1 to 2 hours per patient. You will need to observe, consult, perform exercise and come up with a treatment plan within the time given. Therefore, you must be good at managing time.

Career Opportunities

How to Become a Physiotherapist in Australia?

General Entry Requirements

English Requirements	IELTS 7
Academic Requirements	A-Level/ STPM/ Foundation/ UEC/ Diploma/IB or equivalent

Requirements may vary according to universities. For further enquiries on the requirements, contact us now 😃

Top Universities to Study Physiotherapy in Australia

All the recommended courses below are the only undergraduate degrees in Australia that are accredited by the Australian Physiotherapy Council (APC). Students will be also be eligible to apply for registration through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to practise physiotherapy within Australia

The University of Queensland
Monash University
University of South Australia
University of Newcastle
Griffith University
James Cook University
University of Canberra
University of Notre Dame Australia
Australian Catholic University
Western Sydney University
Central Queensland University
Charles Sturt University