Terms Used In Florida Statutes 486.023

  • Board: means the Board of Physical Therapy Practice. See Florida Statutes 486.021
  • Department: means the Department of Health. See Florida Statutes 486.021
  • Physical therapist: means a person who is licensed and who practices physical therapy in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. See Florida Statutes 486.021
  • Practice of physical therapy: means the performance of physical therapy assessments and the treatment of any disability, injury, disease, or other health condition of human beings, or the prevention of such disability, injury, disease, or other health condition, and the rehabilitation of such disability, injury, disease, or other health condition by alleviating impairments, functional movement limitations, and disabilities by designing, implementing, and modifying treatment interventions through therapeutic exercise; functional movement training in self-management and in-home, community, or work integration or reintegration; manual therapy; massage; airway clearance techniques; maintaining and restoring the integumentary system and wound care; physical agent or modality; mechanical or electrotherapeutic modality; patient-related instruction; the use of apparatus and equipment in the application of such treatment, prevention, or rehabilitation; the performance of tests of neuromuscular functions as an aid to the diagnosis or treatment of any human condition; or the performance of electromyography as an aid to the diagnosis of any human condition only upon compliance with the criteria set forth by the Board of Medicine. See Florida Statutes 486.021

(1) There is created within the department the Board of Physical Therapy Practice, composed of seven members appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate.
(2) Five board members shall be licensed physical therapists in good standing in this state who are residents of this state and who have been engaged in the practice of physical therapy for at least 4 years immediately prior to their appointment. One licensed physical therapist board member may be a full-time faculty member teaching in a physical therapy curriculum in an educational institution in this state. The two remaining members shall be residents of this state who have never been licensed health care practitioners.
(3) As the terms of the members expire, the Governor shall appoint successors for terms of 4 years, and such members shall serve until their successors are appointed.
(4) All provisions of chapter 456 relating to activities of the board shall apply.