Physical Therapy, You Say?

Definition of Physical Therapy

I have been a physical therapist for more than half of my life now, working for big hospitals, corporations, school districts, and outpatient clinics. As I begin to move into the next season of my career starting my own practice as a private physical therapist, I wanted to reflect on what has brought me here, today, in this moment. But first, I feel you should know why I am even starting this blog. It certainly is not because I am bored and have too much time on my hands (although my marketing manager seems to think otherwise as he has demanded my blog posts be turned in on time). It is absolutely not because I am the leading, foremost expert in any one area; however, I do have experience in being a human being. This one experience alone has offered me a great deal of learned knowledge that may be useful to others. When combined with my formal educational training in the field of physical therapy, I think most people will agree that I have garnered enough interesting and useful material to share with you, my reader.

As I begin to blog for my newly minted website, simpletobe.com, I thought I would start with defining physical therapy. Now that seems like an easy place to start, right? Wrong. There is seemingly no straight forward definition of physical therapy. Rather what I have found is the attributes of what a physical therapist is or what their role is as a physical therapist. Is it correct to define something based on its description? So, here is what I have found in my first pass on the internet into the profession in which I am licensed:

According to Wikipedia, the definition of physical therapy is as follows: “Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions”. Only insurance companies refer to PT as an allied health profession, right? Seriously, I’m not even sure what an “allied health professional” is. Wikipedia at least goes on to explain what a physical therapist does (though still without defining the term itself directly):

“It [PT] is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient education, physical intervention, rehabilitation, disease prevention, and health promotion.”

You should never use Wikipedia as a trustworthy source, at least that is what I tell my graduate students who are studying to BE a physical therapist. So, I decided to go straight to the American Physical Therapy Association for surely, they would define physical therapy without using what a physical therapist does. Yet, even they define physical therapy by what a PT does instead of the term itself. This is what I found (italics are mine for emphasis):

“Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education. Physical therapists diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to people at the end of life. Many patients have injuries, disabilities, or other health conditions that need treatment. But PTs also care for people who simply want to become healthier and to prevent future problems.”

Why does it seem to be so difficult for anyone to define physical therapy? It is not that I disagree with anything about WHAT a physical therapist does. But what really IS physical therapy as a profession?

I can reliably tell you what it is not. Physical therapy is not unimportant to one’s health; in fact, it promotes health well before life begins and supports life as it approaches death. It is about making the body move better, without pain. Physical therapy is an integral part of one’s ability to fully participate in activities like work, school, and play, with control, balance, strength, and flexibility.

Here is my definition of Physical Therapy:

“Physical therapy is a medical treatment strategy that focuses on the physical body to restore, improve, enhance, and promote movement and mobility at all ages, in all circumstances — no matter the functional level and despite any diagnosis.”

The purpose of Physical therapy is to help people of all ages be the best version of themselves in terms of pain-free, independent, and functional movement. This is the reason I chose to enter the field of Physical Therapy and why I AM a physical therapist.