Happy National Physical Therapy Month
It’s October and that means it is National Physical Therapy
Month (NPTM). Each year the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
highlights the month of October as a time to commend physical therapists and
physical therapist assistants for their work and also to
educate others on the PT profession. As with every celebration there has
to be a theme, and this years NPTM "theme" is the importance of
physical activity. In today’s world, more and more people are ending up overweight
and obese, so the APTA is focusing on how we can prevent and manage the
situation. As Scott Ward (President of the APTA) wrote on the APTA website, physical therapy plays an important role in helping to
improve our nation’s obesity epidemic. He states that physical therapists
and physical therapist assistants play more than just one role in the fight.
"Physical therapists play dual roles in our nation’s
fight against overweight and obesity. The first role is in the area of
prevention by developing fitness plans for both adults and children that
promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent
disability. The other role, for people who already are overweight or obese, is
to balance the progression of the exercise prescription with the need for joint
protection and safety during exercise. Physical therapists are also aware that
overweight and obese individuals may have experienced past failures with
exercise and can truly understand the difficulties these individuals might
encounter."
Physical therapy helps people “achieve a
greater level of function and higher quality of life”. So, happy NPTM to all our current
and future physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Take a moment
to check out Scott’s article and also let us know what you think about this
years “theme”.
