National Physical Therapy Month in October recognizes the importance of physical therapy in healthcare. Physical therapy is a medical service provided by trained physical therapists who help patients improve movement, strength and manage pain after an illness or injury.

Nearly every part of the body can benefit from physical therapy, especially if you’ve suffered an injury or illness. Physical therapists assess a patient’s pain levels and abilities and develop a plan of treatment they can track. They may provide exercises to be performed at home and document the progress and any further needs. Some of the benefits of physical therapy include:

• Reduction or elimination of pain
• Improved strength and flexibility
• Maintaining independence
• Overall improved quality of life

The observance promotes the importance of physical therapy and the role it plays in improving physical activity and quality of life. Inadequate physical activity results in an added $117 billion in health care costs in the United States. It also leads to reduced quality of life for millions of Americans. Physical therapists encourage movement to help people manage pain and other chronic conditions, recover from injuries and reduce the risk of future injury and chronic disease.

I am personally undergoing another round of Physical Therapy after health issues sidelined me about 2 years ago.  Special shout out to Dave and Ivy!  You guys are beyond awesome.  My goal is to regain the ability to stand.

NATIONAL PHYSICAL THERAPY HISTORY

APTA and participating components began to celebrate Physical Therapy Week in the early 1980s. The week was initially observed in conjunction with APTA’s annual conference in June and was later moved to October. The week evolved, and the first National Physical Therapy Month was celebrated in October 1992.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPTMonth

During National Physical Therapy Month, give a physical therapist you know a shout-out. Other ways to participate include:

• Learning about the roles of physical therapy.
• Share your experiences as a physical therapist.
• Learn about careers in physical therapy.
• Find out if physical therapy is right for you.

Use #PhysicalTherapyMonth or #ChoosePT to spread the word on social media.