The Differences!
Physical therapy (or physiotherapy) is the provision of
services to people and populations to develop, maintain, and restore maximum
movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan. It includes the
provision of services in circumstances where movement and function are
threatened by the process of ageing or that of injury or disease. The method of
physical therapy sees full and functional movement as at the heart of what it
means to be healthy. Physical Therapy is concerned with identifying and
maximizing movement potential, within the spheres of promotion, prevention,
treatment and rehabilitation. It involves the interaction between physical
clients, families and care givers, in a process of assessing movement potential
and in establishing agreed upon goals and objectives using knowledge and skills
unique to physical therapists [1].
Athletic Training is
an allied health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) that
specializes in the prevention, evaluation, treatment, management and
rehabilitation of athletic related injuries and illnesses [2].
Certified Athletic Trainers are also sometimes
referred to as sports therapists or sports medicine practitioners and are the
centerpiece of the sports medicine team. They serve as a liaison to the
athlete, coach, physician and other supplemental personnel providing care to
athletes sustaining physical or emotional trauma. Specifically, the Certified
Athletic Trainer's role delineation encompasses several domains:
- Athletic injury prevention
and risk management
- Recognition, evaluation
and assessment of injuries and illnesses
- Immediate care of injuries
- Treatment, rehabilitation
and reconditioning
- Health care organization
and administration
- Professional development
and responsibility
As a part of the complete sports medicine team,
the Certified Athletic Trainer works under the direction of a licensed
physician and in cooperation with other health care professionals, athletics
administrators, coaches and parents.
Sports Medicine is an interdisciplinary
subspecialty of medicine
which deals with the treatment and preventive care of athletes,
both amateur
and professional.
The sports medicine "team" includes specialty physicians
and surgeons,
athletic
trainers, physical therapists, coaches,
other personnel, and, of course, the athlete. Sports medicine has always been
difficult to define because it is not a single specialty, but an area that
involves health care professionals, researchers
and educators
from a wide variety of disciplines. Its function is not only curative and
rehabilitative, but also preventative, which may actually be the most important
one of all [3].
Despite this wide scope,
there has been a tendency for many to assume that sport-related problems are by
default musculoskeletal and that sports medicine is an
orthopedic specialty. It seems as though sports medicine is much more than just
musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. Illness or injury in sport can be
caused by many factors, such as environmental, physiological
and/or psychological.
Consequently, sports medicine can encompass an array of specialties, such as cardiology,
orthopedic surgery, biomechanics,
traumatology,
etc. In the United States today, the sports medicine
specialist, either an Orthopedist or a Primary care Sports Medicine specialist,
is usually the leader of the sports medicine team, which also includes
physician and surgeon specialists, physiologists, athletic trainers, physical
therapists, coaches, other personnel, and, of course, the athlete.
Wait, did you see that? In the last
sentence it said includes “physiologists.” Is this correct to say? Are
physiologists part of the sports medicine team? Well, let us examine a more
thorough background of physiologists. Physiology is the study of how
organisms perform their vital functions. Someone studying physiology might
consider how a muscle contracts or what forces a contracting muscle exerts on
the skeleton [4].
Physiology has traditionally been
divided into plant physiology and animal physiology but the principles of physiology are
universal, no matter what particular organism
is being studied. For example, what is learned about the physiology of yeast cells
can also apply to human cells?
The field of animal physiology extends
the tools and methods of human physiology to non-human animal species.
Plant physiology also borrows techniques from both fields. Its scope of
subjects is at least as diverse as the tree of life
itself. Due to this diversity of subjects, research in animal physiology tends
to concentrate on understanding how physiological traits changed throughout the
evolutionary history of animals.
Other major branches of scientific study that have grown out of physiology
research include biochemistry, biophysics, paleobiology, biomechanics,
and pharmacology. Perhaps, the most important and complex area
of physiology is human physiology. This area has several branches with
tremendous overlap. These areas include: -- http://www.wikipedia.org
- Myophysiology deals with the operation of muscles
- Neurophysiology
concerns the physiology of brains and nerves
- Cell
physiology addresses the functioning of individual cells
- Comparative or Environmental physiology examines how
animals adapt to their environment
- Membrane physiology focuses on the
exchange of molecules across the cell membrane
- Respiratory physiology mechanics of
gas exchange at the cellular level and also at a gross anatomic level
within the lungs* Circulation also known as cardiovascular
physiology, deals with the heart, blood and blood vessels and issues
arising
- Renal physiology focuses on the excretion
of ions and other metabolites at the kidney
- Endocrinology
covers endocrine
hormones which affect every cell in the body
- Neuroendocrinology concerns the complex
interactions of the neurological and endocrinological systems which
together regulate physiology
- Reproductive
physiology concerns the reproductive cycle
- Exercise physiology addresses the
mechanism and response of the body to movement
Of course, human physiology is the study of functions of
the human body. These functions are complex and much more difficult to examine
than most anatomical structures. Just like the above mentioned, there are
specialties. These include, but are not limited to: Cell Physiology, Specialty
Physiology, Systemic Physiology, and Pathological Physiology
Unfortunately, consistency among degree titles is few and
far between, which creates even more confusion in the pubic eye. I have known
individuals stating they are “Professors of Physiology.” They state the “title” within the classroom
and to the general population interested in their occupation. However, I
believe this answer is vague and provides little clarity for understanding. As
stated above, “physiology” per se has a variety of subdivisions. Hence, the question: what exactly do you
specialize in? What topics do you cover and teach? I must admit many of these
people actually teach exercise science or exercise physiology classes. Well,
why not call yourself an exercise physiologist?
During my mid college years, we
were required to take anatomy and physiology.
Unfortunately, most programs today have either poorly implemented
anatomy as part of the curriculum, or the programs simply do not recognize the
value of such a course, considering this is the foundation of many complex
fundamentals of exercise physiology. Interestingly enough, my professor at the
time actually had a specialty/background in wildlife biology, detailing birds.
With that said, he never claimed to be a “Professor of Physiology’. So, are you
getting it yet?
Now, here is the definition of exercise physiology
and brief details of the profession. Please read each definition carefully.
Exercise
Physiology is
the study of the identification of physiological mechanisms underlying
physical activity, the comprehensive delivery of treatment services concerned
with the analysis, improvement, and maintenance of health and fitness,
rehabilitation of heart disease and other chronic diseases and/or disabilities,
and the professional guidance and counsel of athletes and others interested in
athletics, sports training, and human adaptability to acute and chronic
exercise [5].
This is the ASEP definition of
exercise physiology. It can be located
on the ASEP web pages: http://www.asep.org/
Also, ASEP identifies [6] an exercise physiologist
as a person who has a Bachelors or Masters
degree or a doctorate in exercise physiology from an accredited college or
university. In the U.S. such an individual may be certified
by the American Society of Exercise
Physiologists (ASEP) to practice exercise physiology [via the
Exercise Physiologist Certified exam (EPC)].
Topics studied in exercise physiology include
human energy transfer, human energy expenditure, evaluation of
energy-generating capacities, the nervous
system pulmonary system, the cardiovascular system, the musculoskeletal system, endocrine
system (including hormones) and the interaction of these, plus training methods,
environmental effects on physiology,
and ergogenic
aids.
Exercise physiologists tend to specialize into health and fitness
or exercise rehabilitation streams with exercise used as a
treatment strategy in physical rehabilitation, prevention of disease, and work
conditioning.
Exercise physiologists promote self-management
strategies to encourage long term behavior change, so real benefits can be
achieved for the client. This is particularly useful for individuals with
chronic and/or complex conditions such as diabetes mellitus, arthritis, lower
back pain, kidney disease and many other states and conditions.
Final Thoughts
My point is that exercise physiology is not
exercise science or kinesiology. As a
doctorate student in an exercise science program, I understand the importance
of getting the PhD degree. But, when I
graduate, it will be important for me to sit for the Exercise Physiologist
Certified (EPC) exam to earn the professional title, Exercise
Physiologist. I know this is true, and I
expect it is just a matter of time before other students get it, too.