# Difference between an IPTAS "physical therapist" and a "chartered physiotherapist"



## ajapale (31 Aug 2010)

Whats the difference between a "physical therapist" and a "chartered physiotherapist" in Ireland?

I have the impression that somehow "physical therapist" is not exactly the real deal, am I right?


----------



## Mrs Vimes (31 Aug 2010)

The Irish Association of Physical Therapists have a link to Revenue's homepage [broken link removed]
Revenue doesn't explicitly mention physical therapy in its staff notes [broken link removed] but do allow: "...treatment by a chiropractor, osteopath and bonesetter..." if prescribed by a doctor which are almost certainly not "the real deal" so I would be surprised if they weren't allowed.
Sybil


----------



## Chocks away (31 Aug 2010)

In the USA it's mostly Physical Therapy. I only heard of Physiotherapy after coming to Ireland.


----------



## lionstour (31 Aug 2010)

A Chartered physio has spend 4 years studying in trinity  UCD etc on an internationally recognised course.  Many also have masters etc in specialist areas.  

Physical therapists will never get a job in a hospital.  Any one after a weekend course can get a few cards done up and call themselves a physical therapist. The difference is huge.  
See

iscp website for further details.


----------



## Chocks away (31 Aug 2010)

Can you elucidate? You mean there is no governing body? Are they all quacks?


----------



## Chocks away (31 Aug 2010)

The Irish Association of Physical Therapists is recognised by Quinn, VHI, Vivas and Alliance. Not people renowned for throwing away their shekels. A google will give more info.


----------



## lionstour (1 Sep 2010)

Look at the qualifications of someone who is a chartered physio as against those of a physical therapist. Its simply a non contest.  Where do they get their practical expereince from? Its not hospitals or physio practices its from other so called physical therapists.  There is simple no comparison between the two.


----------



## lionstour (1 Sep 2010)

Chocks away said:


> In the USA it's mostly Physical Therapy. I only heard of Physiotherapy after coming to Ireland.


 
What you would call Physical therapists in the US is actually a physiotherapist in ireland in terms of the kind of qualifications they both would have.  However there is the same huge difference between a US physical therapist and a Irish physical therapist in terms of qualifications etc.


----------



## Chocks away (1 Sep 2010)

lionstour said:


> What you would call Physical therapists in the US is actually a physiotherapist in ireland in terms of the kind of qualifications they both would have. However there is the same huge difference between a US physical therapist and a Irish physical therapist in terms of qualifications etc.


OK, you have me convinced


----------



## shaking (1 Sep 2010)

A friend of mine is qualifed as both a physical therapist and a physio therapist.  To qualify as a physical therapist took her 3 years doing a part time course (weekends) she also had to have a certain number of hours of experience built up.  

After that she then went on to do physio in Trinity which took 4 years (I think).  Physcial therapists are hands only it's all about deep tissue massage and mobilisation whereas a physio can and usually does also use machines to massage areas.

Physcial therapists would do alot of sports massage for athletes they wouldn't work in hospitals.  Trust me nobody gives a deep tissue massage like a qualified physical therapist.

They are two different areas, I definitely wouldn't call physical therapists quacks, like any profession they can bluff their way and make up business cards.  As with any profession you should check your physcial therapists or physios qualifications before you attend them.


----------



## Cooper7 (1 Sep 2010)

I recommend you google it, Physiotherapists have huge issues with Physical Therapists (even tried to take their name recently enough but lost the case!)

As shaking said Physical Therapists only use their hands while Physios use machines.

Both are recognised by Health Insurers.

<snip>


----------



## Alwaysrains (9 Sep 2010)

Interesting stuff. Quite recently I visited a physical therapist. He had completed Bsc mentioned (I think). Actually found him really good. Had previously had surgery on my achilles and had been having physio in the hospital but to be honest wasn't too happy with the progress and this guy was recommended to me. He did a lot more with me than what was being done in the hospital. He worked on a lot of different muscles and prescribed a lot of exercises for legs and hips which helped a lot. All the focus in the hospital was on my achilles.
He did say his qualification was different to physios and that he would be more focused on muscular and joint conditions and all his 3 year training would have been very focused in these areas alone and wasn't trained in some of the areas physios are but that he wouldn't be treating those conditions. Anyway I was very happy with him so I suppose it can depend on the actual therpist as well as what the specific qualification is. He did say something about anyone being able to use the term physical therapist so there would be those practicing that might have done very little training.


----------



## pebbledash (9 Sep 2010)

I think part of the problem is that physical therapists are not upfront about the differences themselves. I'm sure they are fine for a massage but some would happily pass themselves off as physiotherapists.

I recently went to my local medical centre and asked if there was a 'physio' there. The girl said 'yes, I'm the physio'. Physio clearly is short for physiotherapist so I think she deliberately misled me. It wasn't until I was on her table that I realised that she was only a physical therapist.

When I asked her the difference I was told that 'we don't use machines on you, we're more hands-on'. I got the exact same answer from another physical therapist in my area. It would be much more honest to say that they don't study academically etc.. as Karlitob's post above highlighted.

This crucial difference was clear when I asked the 'physical therapist' about a certain well known condition. She told me it didn't exist and I was amazed and questioned her further. She told me then that she might know it by some other name. She should have just said 'my course doesn't cover conditions'. If I didn't know myself that it did exist and could be rectified I might be still going back to her and paying her a fortune for the wrong treatment. This woman is in a local medical centre with GPs!? I don't know how any GP would share a space with a physical therapsit like that. She also charged me €60 - more than some physiotherapists!

I also had some contact with one of the physical therapy training centres in Dublin. When I enquired about their library I was told 'the students don't use it, their training is hands-on'. That sums it up for me - physiotherapists all engage in evidenced-based therapy and would be constantly keeping uptodate with medical evidence for various treatments by reading academic journals and engaging in cpd.

There really needs to be greater regulation and public education around the differences between the two professions.


----------



## Maynooth (9 Sep 2010)

Nice post Karl. As I had assumed. Where would you rank chiropracters then?


----------



## Purple (9 Sep 2010)

Maynooth said:


> Nice post Karl.


+1, great post.


----------



## Fatphrog (10 Sep 2010)

Maynooth said:


> Nice post Karl. As I had assumed. Where would you rank chiropracters then?



Somewhere near angel therapy probably.


----------

