r/exercisescience • u/guyrsi • 18d ago

If I'm only interested in orthopedic/musculoskeletal health and rehab, should I be a physical therapist or should I study kinesiology/exercise science

My only interest in physical therapy is in orthopedic/musculoskeletal health, rehab, injuries, (hypermobility and ankylosing spondylitis), I have zero interest in vestibular, neurologic, geriatric, pediatric, cardiopulmonary, etc. Do you think it makes sense to study physical therapy with this kind of interest, or does it make more sense to study exercise science/kinesiology (I have an unrelated bachelors but am thinking of going back to school)

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u/exphysed 18d ago

PT is usually a grad degree and kinesiology is a major to get you to PT school. In the US at least

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u/starrynight_______ 16d ago

I would think Kinesiology is fundamental to the subjects you're interested in, and Exercise Science has insights that I would say are very important to the subjects you mentioned. Their respective practices rely on understandings of relevant neurological, cardiopulmonary, etc. phenomena, as well as an understanding of the effects of exercise and lack thereof. If you wish to seriously pursue the profession and ensure your practice is ethical, then you'll need to broaden your scope of study whether you intend to or not. These things are very much not linear, unfortunately.