Reference Librarian
Room A200
7701 Lincoln Ave.
Skokie, IL 60077
What is background information?
Background information provides basic facts, history, descriptions and concepts about your topic. Use only the information that you find useful in starting your research. You can always return to your sources if you need more in-depth information as you get deeper into your research topic.
Physical Therapy Assistant - Background Information
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Gale Medical ReferenceCross-searchable collection of several health science titles, including The Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery and Medical Tests, The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, Health and Wellness, and The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. To limit a search to an individual title, use the "More" icon and then the "Title List" option.
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Credo Reference - All Subjects SearchContains dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles.
"Physical therapy assistants may work in hospitals, private physical therapy offices, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, sports facilities, schools, and other institutions. Some degree of bodily strength and endurance is necessary because of the physical handling of patients with limited mobility.
Physical therapy assisting is an adjunct to the profession of physical therapy and comprises workers with at least a two-year education and clinical experience. PTAs are in the role of supporting the physical therapist by providing different types of patient treatment and education, and tracking patient progress. Some kinds of treatment that PTAs can provide or assist with include massage, heat and cold therapy, traction, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and helping patients learn and perform various therapeutic exercises. PTAs may also work with patients who need to learn to use corrective equipment, such as braces or prostheses, wheelchairs or crutches, or other supportive devices. Other PTA responsibilities include organization and maintenance of treatment areas and equipment, and occasional performance of clerical tasks."
Fanucchi, D. (2021). Physical Therapy Assistant. In B. Narins (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Senior Health: A Guide for Seniors and Their Caregivers (3rd ed., Vol. 4, pp. 1876-1877). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX8080300559/GVRL?u=uiuc_oak&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=60695a3e
Physical Therapy Journals
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Physical Therapy JournalPublishes innovative and highly relevant content for both clinicians and scientists. PTJ is the official scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
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JOSPT: Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical TherapyPublishes scientifically rigorous, clinically relevant content for physical therapists and others in the health care community to advance musculoskeletal and sports-related practice.
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American Journal of Physical Medicine & RehabilitationPublishes cutting-edge basic and clinical research, clinical case reports, and in-depth topical reviews of interest to rehabilitation professionals.
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American Journal of Sports MedicineA peer-reviewed scientific journal geared towards the orthopaedic sports medicine community that is the official publication of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM).
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A-Z Lists of Online Periodical TitlesYou can type in known journal titles into the search box to see if the library has access, or you can type in a keyword like 'rehabilitation' to find any journals that have that word in their titles.