Masters in Physical Therapy

The internet has more dot-org websites than any one person can read on physical therapy, but the harder-to-find dot-gov, U.S. government, websites shouldn’t be overlooked. Here are five websites from our government that are actually very helpful for physical therapy students, and therapists who are already working.

1. What is the job outlook for Physical Therapy? The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2010-2011 has a page on Physical Therapy just for you. Important information such as the potential and directions for job growth within the industry are clearly stated. The good news is: Employment of physical therapists is predicted to grow by 30% due to the aging baby-boomer generation, and changes to reimbursement policies will increase patients’ access to physical therapy services, thereby increasing demand.

2. Now that you know your job is secure, find out how much money you could be making with this government website.

Here you will find the average wages for Physical Therapists nationally, by state, and by metropolitan area. They also have a nice top five list of the best-paying states for physical therapists, so check it out. You might be moving to Nevada.

3. If you do decide that Nevada or California, or the other places on the top paying list are for you, check out their websites to find out what state tests, licenses and qualifications you’ll need: Nevada’s Physical Therapy Examiner’s Board website.

California’s website has user-friendly tabs to help you find information fast.

4. How will the new healthcare bill affect Physical Therapy? The government has a surprisingly easy to navigate website all about Healthcare Reform. Find out how Healthcare Reform will affect you at the source.

5. For those who are self-employed Physical Therapists or independent contractors, it’s worth the time and effort to know exactly how that status affects your taxes. The IRS website is a good place to start, but talk to a professional to find out what costs qualify as deductions – you might be pleasantly surprised by how much you can write off.

What are the most appropriate adjectives to describe a massage. Let’s see…relaxing, sensuous, soporific (it does make you sleepy), energizing, and what else? Why is that when we have a pair of hands, legs, and assorted stuff like hot stones, warm unguents, smelly sulfurous mud and such things all over our body we feel like we are in heaven? Our ligaments, muscles, tendons, sinews relax and we can almost hear them sigh in pleasure as the pressure applied by trained fingers upon joints and points we scarcely knew existed releases tensions leaving us feeling light and our minds free to wander. That is, till the session is over and it’s time to trudge to the counter where you pay the tab.

Masseurs and massage parlors know that they have their finger on one of humanity’s collective weak spots – a desire for a good massage and they charge us heartily for it. If only there were some ways to get a massage for cheap or even free, wouldn’t that be great?

Here are some tips and pointers to get a massage for cheap or even free of cost.

Company health benefits cover a lot of things such as free medical checkups, hospital expenses and even massage. If your doctor prescribes a massage for you, then you’re in for a treat and your company or the insurance provider picks up the tab. If you can, you should try and get free massages every year because very often the benefit may not roll over on to the next year.

If you’re one of those experienced deal hunters then you probably know that one of the best resources for information on such stuff is the Internet. A simple search for news on free massage could yield a choice close to your area. For example, here’s a press release offering one full year’s worth of massages free in LA. This one’s for Augusta residents that can get a free massage every Tuesday and Friday at Casa Blanca Cafe, 936 Broad St. One gentle word of caution though, be careful and check whether the services are actually going to match up to what’s mentioned in the ad. It shouldn’t be that 20 seconds into the massage, when you’re nicely oiled and almost naked, you are offered a package for massage services and the future of your free massage depends upon your signing for the deal. Be careful, or you might end up getting lathered in snake oil.

One nice way to get a free massage is to do it yourself; yup – massage your own back. I know it sounds like it will take the fun out of the experience. But these are hard times; check out this new low in frugality. It might work for you. Or there’s always the old barter. You rub your pal’s back and he kneads yours. This is probably the best and most underrated way to get a free massage. If there is a product launch by a health and wellness company somewhere in your area, there’s a good chance that they may be offering complimentary massages, either cheap or free.

There actually exists a body of good Samaritans of truly biblical proportions, these sweet guys operate under the banner of Massage for Good Health Foundation and travel all over the country giving free massages to educate people and make them feel good.

Massage schools are a great place to go to for cheap massages where you will probably pay half of what you would in a spa. The phonebook can be your true friend in searching for this cheap chirapsia bliss in shiatsu heaven. Another way is to stoke those old bargaining skills that you absorbed from mama but have since become dormant. Bargain with spas on giving you a better deal and a cheaper rates; see if purchasing multiple Tui Na massage sessions works out to your advantage.