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These two professions, although by nature very similar, do have key differences that differentiate one from the other. So how do you decide which one to pursue a career in? Let's explore their similarities and differences below.
Both physiotherapy and occupational therapy form part of the allied health industry, which is expected to grow substantially over the next decade - especially in rural Australia. In fact, of the 200,000 registered allied health practitioners in the country, over half can be attributed to just five professions, of which occupational therapy and physiotherapy are included.
Furthermore, here in Victoria, we have 42,500 registered allied health professionals, spread across 27 different professions.
What defines occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy (OT) is defined by Occupational Therapy Australia as a “client-centred health profession” that “enables people to participate in activities they find meaningful… taking care of oneself (and others), working, volunteering, and participating in hobbies, interests and social events”.
Occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) achieve this through undertaking ongoing assessments to gauge what activities a client can do, in light of what they want to be able to do, discussions of current limitations, goals and motivations, and offering advice or techniques to execute said activities with greater ease and safety.
What defines physiotherapy?
The work of physiotherapists, on the other hand, is defined by Allied Health Professions Australia as the treatment of a “broad range of health conditions including sports injuries and musculoskeletal conditions, as well as chronic health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, osteoarthritis and stroke”.
They achieve this through assessing, diagnosing, planning and managing patient care in many aspects - chronic disease management, lifestyle modification, self-management advice, the prescription of aids, appliances and exercises, the supervision of said exercises, health promotion education, performing health assessments, and injury prevention activities.
What are the main differences between them?
Now that we’ve established what these two professions entail, how exactly are they different?
Physiotherapy is more concerned with helping clients recover, improve or maintain their gross motor skills, which are the larger muscles of the body you use to do things like sitting, walking, jumping, to name a few.
Occupational therapy, on the other hand, is primarily concerned with enhancing one’s fine motor skills - these are the abilities that require fewer muscle groups to execute, such as things like writing, holding objects, tying your shoelaces, etc.
If you wish to read other material about the differences between physiotherapy and occupational therapy from reputable sources, you might like to have a read of the NAPA (Neurological and Physical Abilitation) Centre’s Explaining the Difference Between Occupational and Physiotherapy.
Pathways to becoming an occupational therapist or physiotherapist
Studying a Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy) with Stirling Institute of Australia could get you where you want to be. You can also rest assured that there will be demand in the industry once you graduate, as there's a national shortage of physiotherapists, in particular, here in Australia - according to the Department of Health’s allied health page.
Additionally, occupational therapists are predicted to experience very strong future growth over the next five years, whilst physiotherapy is predicted to experience strong growth, according to the Australian Government’s JobOutlook page.
You can also read about the positives and negatives of being a physiotherapist or occupational therapist here on Seek, one of Australia’s leading job search portals.
Considering a career in physiotherapy or occupational therapy? We’d love to get you started. Trying to figure out what pathway to pursue that will get you where you want to be is no small decision - and this is perhaps especially true for a mature-aged student. There’s so many different resources and information available online that it can all feel a little overwhelming at times.
That's why we’d love to make things simpler for you by providing you with personalised advice pertaining to your own individual circumstances, such as discussing your personal interests, whether physiotherapy or occupational therapy may best suit your existing skill sets and personality, or your eligibility criteria for fee reductions. So please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re always up for a chat!