Exercise And Rehabilitation

Kinesiotherapist may still be little known, but they are much-appreciated. Julie L. Allen often encounters the same question: "What is a KT?" The unfamiliar abbreviation stands for kinesiotherapist - a health professional who integrates exercise into rehabilitation, "The scientific study of human movement."

"The first KTs were all employed within the Veterans' Administration. They were physical educators who completed clinical training within the VA system to fill roles in providing adapted physical education to injured World War II vets," said Jon VonderHaar, 34, president of the American Kinesiotherapy Association.

"Our profession has followed the evolution of physical education to exercise science, and today's KTs hold a minimum of a bachelor's degree, in addition to nearly six months of clinical training. Almost half of all KTs are now employed outside the VA system." The association's national office in Hattiesburg, Miss., fields requests almost daily from health care employers seeking kinesiotherapists.

Starting salary ranges from $35,000 to $40,000, said Mr. VonderHaar, who is based in Bakersfield, Calif. Over time, earnings rise to between $45,000 and $50,000, said Jerry W. Purvis, coordinator of the Council on Professional Standards for Kinesiotherapy. But relocation to another region may be necessary to land a position.

Qualified applicants for the kinesiotherapy registration exam must be graduates of a curriculum accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Only six colleges in the U.S. offer the curriculum, said Mr. Purvis, kinesiotherapy director at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Its program was founded in 1957.

"Kinesiotherapists have a solid foundation in the scientific principles of exercise, and have the skill and expertise to modify or adapt exercise applications to meet various needs," he said. They are employed by VA medical centers, public and private hospitals, sports medicine clinics, rehabilitation facilities, learning disability centers, schools, home health agencies, colleges and doctors' practices. Others work as self-employed exercise consultants, said Ms. Allen, who was in the Army and National Guard for eight years and has served as a combat medic. She rose to the rank of sergeant before deciding to pursue an education in this field.

The Kinesiotherapist is competent in the administration of musculoskeletal, neurological, ergonomic, biomechanical, psychosocial, and task specific functional tests and measures. The Kinesiotherapist determines the appropriate evaluation tools and interventions necessary to establish, in collaboration with the client, a goal specific treatment plan. The intervention process includes the development and implementation of a treatment plan, assessment of progress toward goals, modification as necessary to achieve goals and outcomes, and client education. The foundation of clinician-client rapport is based on education, instruction, demonstration and mentoring of therapeutic techniques and behaviors to restore, maintain and improve overall functional abilities.

Source: Dallas Morning News, Susan Kreimer, 2/4/07