Georgia Physical Therapy Practice Act: Definitions, Scope, and Licensure Categories
The Practice Act domain tests whether you can separate who may legally do what in Georgia physical therapy: the licensed physical therapist (PT), the licensed physical therapist assistant (PTA), and the unlicensed aide. Most items turn on a single verb in the scenario - who evaluated, who established the plan, who was supervising - so read for the action rather than the job title.
How the statute defines physical therapy
O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 33 defines physical therapy as the examination, evaluation, and treatment of patients through physical means, together with instruction and the measurement of function. Covered techniques include therapeutic exercise, gait and balance training, manual therapy and joint mobilization, traction, wound care, and the use of the physical properties of heat, cold, light, water, electricity, sound, and massage. The definition supports a plan of care but does not extend to prescribing drugs, performing surgery, or diagnosing disease.
The tiers of workers
- Physical therapist: independently examines, evaluates, establishes the plan of care and goals, performs interventions, and supervises assistants, aides, and students.
- Physical therapist assistant: licensed; carries out the interventions in the PT's plan of care and reports progress; may not perform the initial evaluation, establish or substantially change the plan, or take on procedures outside the plan.
- Aide or technician: unlicensed and limited to non-treatment tasks - transport, clerical work, cleaning, and equipment setup. An aide may not apply a modality, teach an exercise, or perform a manual technique on a patient.
- Student: practices only within an accredited educational program and under supervision; the student title does not create independent practice authority.
Worked example
A chiropractic clinic advertises physical therapy. A certified athletic trainer applies ultrasound and leads exercise sessions, and a PT signs the notes once a week. This is unlicensed practice: the modality and the exercise are physical therapy and must be delivered by a licensed PT or PTA under a plan the PT established. Weekly note review is not supervision, and both the clinic and the PT face Board action for aiding unlicensed practice.
Traps that cost marks
Treating the DPT degree as a license; letting a PTA perform an evaluation because the PT is busy; letting an aide 'just finish' a modality; assuming a corporate title such as rehabilitation director expands scope. Title protection also matters - only licensees may use PT, PTA, DPT, or physical therapist in advertising.