| who may have mechanical, physiological, or developmental impairments, functional limitations, disabilities, or other health and movement-related conditions, classifying these disorders, determining a rehabilitation prognosis and plan of therapeutic intervention, and assessing the ongoing effects of the interventions.
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| or disabilities by designing, implementing, and modifying therapeutic interventions that may include, but are not limited to, the evaluation or treatment of a person through the use of the effective properties of physical measures and heat, cold, light, water, radiant energy, electricity, sound, and air and use of therapeutic massage, therapeutic exercise, mobilization, dry needling, and rehabilitative procedures, with or without assistive devices, for the purposes of preventing, correcting, or alleviating a physical or mental impairment, functional limitation, or disability.
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"Physical therapy"
includes, but is not limited to: (a) performance
of specialized tests and measurements, (b) administration of specialized
treatment procedures, (c) interpretation of referrals from physicians, dentists, advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants,
and podiatric physicians, (d) establishment, and modification of physical therapy
treatment programs, (e) administration of topical medication used in generally
accepted physical therapy procedures when such medication is either prescribed
by the patient's physician, licensed to practice medicine in all its branches,
the patient's physician licensed to practice podiatric medicine, the patient's advanced practice registered nurse, the patient's physician assistant, or the
patient's dentist or used following the physician's orders or written instructions, (f) supervision or teaching of physical therapy, and (g) dry needling in accordance with Section 1.5.
"Physical therapy" does not include radiology, electrosurgery, acupuncture, chiropractic
technique or determination of a differential
diagnosis; provided, however,
the limitation on determining a differential diagnosis shall not in any
manner limit a physical therapist licensed under this Act from performing
an evaluation and establishing a physical therapy treatment plan pursuant to such license. Nothing in this Section shall limit
a physical therapist from employing appropriate physical therapy techniques
that he or she is educated and licensed to perform.
(2) "Physical therapist" means a person who practices physical therapy
and who has met all requirements as provided in this Act.
(3) "Department" means the Department of Professional Regulation.
(4) "Director" means the Director of Professional Regulation.
(5) "Board" means the Physical Therapy Licensing and Disciplinary Board approved
by the Director.
(6) "Referral" means a written or oral authorization for physical therapy services for a patient by a physician, dentist, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, or podiatric physician who maintains medical supervision of the patient and makes a diagnosis or verifies that the patient's condition is such that it may be treated by a physical therapist.
(7) (Blank).
(8) "State" includes:
(a) the states of the United States of America;
(b) the District of Columbia; and
(c) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(9) "Physical therapist assistant" means a person licensed to assist a
physical therapist and who has met all requirements as provided in this Act
and who works under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist to assist
in implementing the physical therapy treatment program as established by the
licensed physical therapist. The patient care activities provided by the
physical therapist assistant shall not include the interpretation of referrals,
evaluation procedures, or the planning or major modification of patient programs.
(10) "Physical therapy aide" means a person who has received on
the job training, specific to the facility in which he is employed.
(11) "Advanced practice registered nurse" means a person licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse under the Nurse Practice Act.
(12) "Physician assistant" means a person licensed under the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987.
(13) "Health care professional" means a physician, dentist, podiatric physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant.
(Source: P.A. 102-307, eff. 1-1-22.)
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