Physical Rehabilitation Therapists
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Job description
These individuals treat problems related to muscles, bones, and joints. They also treat the neurological, respiratory, circulatory, and cardiac systems. They intervene on referral from physiotherapists or doctors. Their main objective is to help clients regain their physical capacities and autonomy. They aim to promote and maintain mobility, health, and well-being and to prevent health problems.
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
Main tasks
- Work with clients of various ages and physical conditions.
- Collect and analyze information from client records.
- Contribute to the development and application of the treatment plan and ensure its follow-up.
- Use treatment techniques such as exercises, electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, and thermotherapy.
- Ensure the quality of treatment to allow for the normal evolution or stability of the person’s condition.
- Provide advice on posture and health practices.
- Suggest exercises to improve people’s physical condition.
- Work in the client’s home, as required.
- Keep their professional knowledge up to date through scientific readings, continuing education courses, or exchanges with peers.
- Collect evaluative data.
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Physiotherapy
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 78.6%
16.4% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 90.7%
7.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ [Quebec Order of Physiotherapists]) required to practise as a Physical Rehabilitation Therapist.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Reading comprehension
- Oral expression
- Critical thought
- Equipment selection
- Monitoring operations
- Active listening
- Result evaluation
- Service oriented
- Social perception
- Written expression
- Time management
- Judgment and decision-making
- Solving complex problems
- Information processing
- Coordination
- Active learning
- System analysis
- Teaching
- Science
- Learning strategies
- Operation analysis
- Human resource management
- Persuasion
Abilities
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Written expression
- Verbal skills
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Speech clarity
- Speech recognition
- Information organization
- Sound origin identification
- Depth perception
- Peripheral vision
- Classification
- Idea generation
- Near vision
- Limb coordination
- Digital dexterity
- Manual dexterity
- Core strength
- Static muscle power
- Processing flexibility
- Hand-arm stability
- Visualization
- Selective attention
- Originality
- Perception speed
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to establish and maintain interpersonal relations
- Critical thinking
- Perseverance
- Autonomy
- Capacity to work in a team
- Rigour
- Sense of initiative
- Vitality
- Capacity to facilitate a group
- Open-mindedness
Interests
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Carry out research
- Assist and advise
- Teach or educate
- Assist or care for people
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Appellation d’emploi liée (à traduire)
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment (CNP 32109)
Skill type
Health
Last update: January 29, 2026