When receiving therapy you will be initially evaluated by a physical therapist (PT) who will set up an individualized treatment and exercise program to meet your specific needs. Once established with a physical therapist, you will often also receive treatment from a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or guidance during your exercise program from a physical therapy technician.

A physical therapy assistant must attend specialized schooling and will receive their 2 year associates degree. They must then take and pass a state and national licensure examination. Albuquerque, NM offers an accrediated PTA program at Carrington College.

As a physical therapy assistant, you work under the direct supervision of a physical therapist to provide care for the patient, help with exercise programs and perform therapuetic treatment to patients.  As a PTA, you would also record daily patient progress and report findings to the PT.

As a physical therapy technician, you work along side the physical therapist and help provide the patient with an individualized exercise rehabilitation program based on their needs. A PT tech will also assist in providing the patient therapuetic modalities to help alleviate their pain.

At Southwest Orthopaedic Physical Therapy we have one PTA and four PT Technicians on staff. All of our PT Technicians have a 4-year bachelor's degree in exercise science or kinesiology and assist patients in their individualized exercise program.