As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. (1) “Physical therapist” means a person licensed to practice physical therapy in this state;
2. (2) “Physical therapy” means the evaluation and treatment of any person by the employment of the effective properties of physical measures, the performance of tests and measurements as an aid to evaluation of function and the use of therapeutic exercises and rehabilitative procedures, with or without assistive devices, for the purpose of preventing, correcting or alleviating a physical or mental disability. “Physical therapy” includes the establishment and modification of physical therapy programs, treatment planning, instruction, wellness care, peer review, consultative services and the use of low-level light laser therapy for the purpose of accelerating tissue repair, decreasing edema or minimizing or eliminating pain, but does not include surgery, the prescribing of drugs, the development of a medical diagnosis of disease, injury or illness, the use of cauterization or the use of Roentgen rays or radium for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. As used in this section, “low-level light laser therapy” means low-level light therapy having wave lengths that range from six hundred to one thousand nanometers;

3. (3) “Physical therapist assistant” means a person licensed to assist in the practice of physical therapy in this state under the supervision of a physical therapist. For purposes of this subdivision and subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 20-73, “supervision” means the overseeing of or the participation in the work of a physical therapist assistant by a licensed physical therapist, including, but not limited to:

   1. (A) Continuous availability of direct communication between the physical therapist assistant and a licensed physical therapist; (B) availability of a licensed physical therapist on a regularly scheduled basis to (i) review the practice of the physical therapist assistant, and (ii) support the physical therapist assistant in the performance of the physical therapist assistant's services; and (C) a predetermined plan for emergency situations, including the designation of an alternate licensed physical therapist in the absence of the regular licensed physical therapist;
4. (4) “Assist in the practice of physical therapy” means the treatment of any person by the employment of the effective properties of physical measures and the use of therapeutic exercises and rehabilitative procedures, with or without assistive devices, for the purpose of preventing, correcting or alleviating a physical or mental disability, but does not include the interpretation of referrals, initial or discharge evaluation or assessment, or determination or modification of treatment or discharge plans; and
5. (5) “Wellness care” means services related to conditioning, strength training, fitness, workplace ergonomics or injury prevention.

(1949 Rev., S. 4398; 1953, S. 2201d; P.A. 73-579, S. 1; P.A. 80-336, S. 1; P.A. 82-472, S. 75, 183; P.A. 89-307, S. 1; P.A. 93-110, S. 4, 5; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; 95-299, S. 2; P.A. 96-174, S. 1, 3; P.A. 99-249, S. 6, 10; P.A. 00-226, S. 12, 20; P.A. 03-209, S. 1, 2; P.A. 06-125, S. 1; P.A. 09-232, S. 17.)

History: P.A. 73-579 redefined “physical therapist” and “physical therapy”, clarifying terms and removed use of electricity for surgical purposes from exclusion; P.A. 80-336 deleted requirement that physical therapist practice under direction of person licensed to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathy in “physical therapist” definition and included tests and measurements as an aid to evaluation of function in “physical therapy” definition; P.A. 82-472 replaced alphabetic Subdiv. indicators with numeric indicators, revising internal references as necessary; P.A. 89-307 added Subdiv. (3) defining “physical therapist assistant”; P.A. 93-110 redefined “physical therapist assistant” to include persons with 20 years' employment experience prior to October 1, 1989, effective June 3, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-299 amended Subdiv. (2) by redefining “physical therapy” to include peer review services; P.A. 96-174 amended Subdiv. (3), defining “physical therapist assistant”, to change the requirements for the physical therapist assistant programs, effective May 31, 1996; P.A. 99-249 divided Subdiv. (3) into Subparas. and added Subpara. (B) re approved school, effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 00-226 made technical changes, redefined “physical therapist assistant” in Subdiv. (3) and added new Subdiv. (4) defining “assist in the practice of physical therapy”, effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 03-209 added definition of “wellness care” and redefined “physical therapy” to include wellness care; P.A. 06-125 amended Subdiv. (2) by excluding surgery, the prescribing of drugs and the development of a medical diagnosis of disease, injury or illness from definition of “physical therapy”; P.A. 09-232 redefined “physical therapy” and defined “low-level light laser therapy” in Subdiv. (2).