Work From Home Job Ideas For Physiotherapists

One of the things I noted during my 1:1 consultations with PTs was, many PTs were looking for a hybrid work model. Many of them enjoyed patient care, but they didn’t want to work long hours at the clinic. More and more PTs are looking for flexibility in time. They are trying to avoid strenuous commutes and long work hours that sometimes lack even a pee break!! If this sounds like you keep on reading because in this article today I am sharing work from home job ideas for physiotherapists. Bonus point: you don’t need separate degree, your physiotherapy degree is enough to get you started.

Work from home jobs for Physiotherapists #1: Telerehabilitation 

Pandemic has changed how we function. As we embraced the ‘new normal’, we realized how effective telerehabilitation is. Now that practice of telerehabilitation has picked up pace, I believe it is here to stay. Many people in cities find it difficult to attend PT sessions due to their erratic work hours, traffic jams and long wait times. Physiotherapy still remains difficult to access in rural parts of India. Most of these problems could be solved with telehealth PT

Pros: 

• No special education needed. You just need to get used to telerehabilitation and technology
• For the most part you get to decide your work hours
• You can improve reach of your therapy services 

Cons: 

• You can not perform manual therapy. Additionally you can treat only selected cases
• You need to be efficient in teaching exercises correctly with verbal cues 
• Some PTs don’t feel confident treating patients remotely due to patient safety concerns  

How to get started:

Practice with a friend first and see if you can perform thorough assessment and treatment virtually. Start by treating simple cases. Most of the time a good place to start telerehabilitation is with a relative who complains to you about his back or neck pain at the party! You can take their contact details at the event and set up a video call later with them.

Reach out to your friends, relatives and neighbors. Mention that you are offering telerehabilitation services. Post it on your social media handles, website. Start treating more and more patients and learn along the way. 

Another thing you need to remember is that you need to give clear and simple instructions for home exercise program. I have used HEP2go in the past and really pleased with it. Their free version is good enough to get you started. Lateron you may want to switch to pro version as your practice grows.

If you don’t want to start on your own you can work for companies such as Yourphysio, HealthQ rehab, Fitterfly. Keep an eye on their jobs page. Many times, I include remote work opportunities in my Sunday newsletter. Click here to subscribe for free!

Work from home jobs for Physiotherapists #2: Ergonomic consultations

We PTs are experts in posture analysis, ergonomic evaluations and recommendations. Therefore, we can leverage our knowledge to help company employees. You can do this remotely with the help of simple powerpoint presentation and informative videos. Moreover, you don’t have to restrict yourself to corporate employees. You can design such webinars for variety of professionals such as dentists, teachers, shopkeepers.

Pros:

• Your work hours are likely within the office hours. Most of the companies schedule ergonomic sessions for their employees within 9-5
• You can get started right away. All you need to do is make a power point presentation and start reaching out.
• The pay is usually good. Although it depends a lot on the company and how you pitch yourself.

Cons:

• You need to take efforts to position yourself as an expert.
• You may be speaking in front of hundreds of people. This is a con if public speaking is your biggest nightmare.
• You need to be mindful of your competitors.

How to get started:

Give your best and make a good PPT about ergonomics for the population you will be presenting to. Take help of your CBR professors or seniors to make it accurate. Reach out to your friends, family and relatives who work in small offices. Offer to provide office ergonomics webinars for them. Keep it simple and concise. Remember to gather feedback.

This way you can position yourself as an expert. Having your own website and/or Instagram handle with a niche in office ergonomics will be extremely helpful. To help you with your public speaking skills, you can consider joining toastmasters international.

Work from home jobs for Physiotherapists #3: Content Writing 

In my school and college days, I was never considered as a ‘writer’. But that is what I do, after starting PT career paths. It is okay if you don’t have superb writing skills in the start. According to me, to become a writer, you need to be an avid reader first. You need to have passion for writing. As you go, you can polish your writing skills later on. It is a good idea to start a blog and showcase your work.

Pros:

• Completely remote work and you can set your hours based on your schedule 
• Once you are established the pay is usually good 
• This side hustle can become your full time job as you grow.

Cons:

• Takes time to get started. 
• You need to learn to type super fast! (Trust me, this takes time if you haven’t learned to type in your school days).
• Involves sitting in front of the screen for hours and can cause ergonomic concerns if you are not careful.

How to get started:

You can start by writing for physiotherapy magazines. I know the PHYSIOTIMES accepts articles from the PTs and PT students. Articles are published based on merit and content. It is a good place to start building your writing portfolio. You can also reach out to me if you want to write a guest post for my blog. (Hint, hint!)

Recently a friend told me that, you can find paid work on Wittypen, Peppercontent or Upwork. If you are considering starting your own blog, you can do it using WordPress. If you don’t want start your own blog, consider posting on medium.

For inspiration to showcase your work, I highly recommend reading Austin Kleon’s “Steal like an artist” and “Show your work“

Work from home jobs for Physiotherapists #4: Teaching

In India, many colleges require you to have Master’s if you want join as a professor. But it is not an option for everyone and it is not a remote job. Many physiotherapists conduct online webinars for PTs and PT students. Most of them do it as a side hustle in addition to their full time job. You need to have a specialized knowledge and/or a skill-set to provide these type of services.

Pros:

• You can decide your work hours.
• This side hustle can make a good secondary source of income.
• You can continue your clinical practice while integrating this side hustle in your schedule.

Cons:

• In many cases you need to do some specialized coursework.
• You should be able to market yourself well and position yourself as an expert.
• May take some time before you are established. 

How to get started:

You need to figure out what resonates with you the most. Start gaining specialized knowledge and skills in that. In the beginning, start by teaching a small group of students. Make sure to take feedback and improve as needed. Having a social media handle and/or website would be beneficial. 

Work from home jobs for Physiotherapists #5: Health claims/ Insurance manager

I didn’t know about this one before I spoke to Anjali Narayan. In a nutshell, the job involves you to scrutinize through the insurance claims. You need to make a decision about insurance pay offs to the client based on their claim. Anjali initially worked with Bharti Axa. She now works with ICICI lombard. Cherry on top is physiotherapy education was more than enough for her to land her jobs. 

Pros:

• Many times no special education needed apart from your physiotherapy degree
• Good pay 
• You get to experience corporate work culture

Cons:

• Can’t be part time
• May leave little time for your clinical practice
• Work hours can be long

How to get started:

First of all, get on LinkedIn. Follow insurance companies on LinkedIn. Keep an eye on their jobs page. Prepare your resume and make sure it is ATS friendly. Make meaningful connections with company employees. When you see a job opening, apply! 

What’s next?

All of these options are leaving you confused as to where to start? What to choose? How to go about it? Don’t worry! I got your back. DM me on Instagram/ LinkedIn or contact me, if you need more guidance. 

There are so many physiotherapists in India who are doing well, so can you. I believe in you. I wish you all the best!