What National Physical Therapy Month Means to a PT

​To conclude our National Physical Therapy month blog series, we have gathered together some of
our physical therapists’ thoughts on what National PT month means to them. Enjoy!

From David Simmons in our Wheat Ridge clinic:

“I think that PT month is a great opportunity to promote our profession as a whole and really educate people on the scope that we have. So many people assume Physical Therapy is only for post-surgery or major injuries, but in reality we can treat so much more than that. This is especially important in Colorado with direct access available to patients. We have the knowledge to be the first health care provider to see a patient and determine their needs going forward on their path to recovery. It is also a great time to reflect on the incredible work that we get to do every day. We are able to connect with people and help them return to activities that
they love to do.”

From Caitlin Barritt in our Boulder clinic:

"I have been a physical therapist for almost 20 years and I am lucky to say that I still find joy and challenge in my work. I say “work“ but being a PT is more of a calling, a vocation for me. The best part of my job is the intrinsic rewards I get from working with people along their recovery. It is having the luxury of time to see someone for 30 minute visits 1 to 2 times a week for several weeks or months. Patients feel comfortable asking me questions and I like being able to answer questions and hopefully provide exercises or techniques to empower them to manage their own symptoms. We all have bodies but not all of us have gone through medical training and read the“user manual.”  Educating patients about how their body works helps reduce anxiety and fear and improve buy-in with physical therapy or exercise. And no two patients or injuries are alike -  So there’s no cookie-cutter approach and that is what keeps me on my toes!"

From Chelsey Creedon in our Longmont/Englewood clinic:

​"This month offers me a time to reflect on what a privilege it is to be part of such an amazing profession. I get to make a difference in people’s lives every single day! I get to create a space to allow them to recover, to progress, to accomplish goals, and to succeed. I get what most health care providers do not– time to spend with patients! This allows me to hear them, understand them, validate them, educate them, and develop a plan with them. I get to build genuine relationships with patients, which further allows me to be their coach, cheerleader, counselor, teacher, medical provider, and friend. I have the opportunity to empower people to achieve their goals. I get to help people in a truly meaningful way and what could be more satisfying than that?! What a cool job! What a great profession to be part of!"

From Eric Hanyak in our Boulder office:

"National Physical Therapy Month is a time when I reflect on how far our profession has come in the last 100 years.  We are just months from celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first PT research in the US that was published in March 1921.  Physical Therapy in the early 1900s grew out of necessity to treat soldiers coming home from World War I, patients from numerous polio outbreaks, and children with developmental disabilities; the profession was 100% female.  By the 1950s, PTs were practicing in schools, skilled nursing facilities, orthopedic centers, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals.  In 1974 the Orthopedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association was born to advance research in the orthopedic field.  Since then the standard degree required for practicing PT progressed from a Bachelors degree to a Masters degree to a Doctoral degree.  Physical Therapists have been direct-access medical providers in 50 states since 2015 meaning that anyone can see a PT without a medical doctor’s referral.  I am proud of where the profession has come and where it is headed.  I am proud to be a provider that saves overall healthcare costs, helps people off of opioids, and helps people avoid surgery.  I am proud to be a PT!"

From Lisa Corken in our Broomfield office:

"National PT month is a very special time to recognize the value of our profession and the impact it can have on our patients’ lives.  It’s in our nature to have high expectations of ourselves to get rid of every person’s pain that walks through our doors.  While there may be one case that can hang over your head, you need to remind yourself that you have probably already helped them so much just by modifying a way for them to get any exercise at all, educating them about their diagnosis, or providing a support system.  National PT Month is a great reminder for all PTs that the extensive anatomy and kinesiology education we think of as “obvious” is so unknown and foreign to most of our patients.  So, take this time to remember all that you have to offer to your patients and don’t sell short!!"

From Heather Shaughnessy in our Broomfield office:

​"For me, National Physical Therapy month is a great time to reflect on how far our profession has come, and to get excited about where it will go in years to come.  New research is being done all the time which is continuously reshaping how we diagnose, evaluate, and treat patients which should improve quality of care and outcomes for our patients.  Most PTs got into the profession because they wanted to help people, so having better, more evidence based means of doing that should be really exciting for all of us.  Along those lines, this is also a good time for me to apprectiate being able to work in a field where I get to interact with so many different kinds of people and help them achieve extremely varied goals depending on what is most important to each individual patient."

From Bridget End in our Boulder office:

"National Physical Therapy Month is a time to reflect on the purpose and benefits of the physical therapy profession. Everyone can benefit from physical therapy in some manner, regardless of your level of function. Whether you are rehabbing from surgery or you are an athlete who is trying to improve your performance, physical therapists are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to determine the appropriate plan of action to help you achieve your goals. Physical therapists are also trained to work with people of all ages, including babies. In general, the physical therapy profession can help people of all ages and abilities achieve their highest level of function."

From Drew in our Lafayette office:

"PT month is an opportunity for me to reflect on my profession and educate others. In PT school, I vividly remember watching a video where people on the street were asked "What does a physical therapist do?" and most people either had a vague idea or really no idea at all. Over the last eight years, I have personally experienced many patients being seen for one injury/body part who asked if I could treat another body part.

Individual therapists and the profession as a whole have greatly improved their ability to educate the public what we as therapists do and PT month is an extension of that. I want to let people know that I can treat them literally from head to toe. Most people also don't realize that they can feel better than they currently do, things don't need to be as sore and stiff as they probably are. They can get more flexible, improve their balance, strength, and endurance, making life in general more enjoyable but until the public knows that these improvements are possible, they will continue to accept them as the status quo. 

PT month is not about selling the profession for me, it is more about spreading awareness. I inform every one of my prenatal and recently postpartum patients and friends about pelvic floor physical therapy despite myself not being a pelvic floor therapist. Most women are completely unaware that many of the issues experienced around pregnancy can be improved with physical therapy. It isn't an issue of access, it is more of an issue that they aren't even aware that there is a service to help them. 

Although I try to educate people throughout the year, it is nice to make a more formal effort for a month each year and it energizes me as I reflect on how much I enjoy this profession."

From Elana in our Wheat Ridge clinic:

​"To me physical therapy represents the ability to give people autonomy over their injury. So often in our medical system, people are told that they need something external to fix their problem (a medication, surgery, injection). I love helping people find tools to facilitate their own healing. Bodies are strong and resilient and I want to empower people to know that!"