Occupational Therapist Assistant vs Physical Therapist Assistant

It can also be in response to a permanent physical, mental or developmental disability. Their overall aim is to establish confidence in their patients in adapting to their disability rather than regaining strength.

Physical therapy assistants(PTAs) are focused on helping people recover from injuries or illnesses that have limited their ability to move. They aim to help patients regain range of motion, strength, and flexibility in the affected areas of the body, improve balance and coordination, and relieve pain.

A physical therapist assistant's main goal is to increase a patient's quality of life by improving their mobility, restoring function to certain parts of their body, and decreasing any chronic pain.

Here are the key differences between an occupational therapist assistant and a physical therapist assistant:

• OTAs aim for patients to adjust to their disability and regain as much normal functioning in their lives as possible

• PTAs mainly seek to help their patient fully recover from an injury, surgery, or other medical procedure

• OTAs focus on building confidence in their patients

• PTAs focus on healing and strengthening a part of a patient's body

• OTAs see patients that have difficulty living independently because of a disability or severe injury

• PTAs see patients recovering from a specific event, like a sports injury, surgery, or illness

• On average, OTAs have slightly higher salaries than PTAs