October is National Physical Therapy Month. It’s Time to Celebrate!
By: Jennifer Heiligman, PT, MPT
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has designated October National Physical Therapy Month. This was established to recognize and celebrate the many benefits of Physical Therapy. The APTA along with ChoosePT establishes the theme for each year. This year they are continuing the same theme as last year: The role of the PT and PTA in improving physical activity and getting people moving.
There are many ways you and your clinic can celebrate National Physical Therapy Month. For starters, advertise what a physical therapist is and the many benefits of seeing a physical therapist. A PT is a licensed healthcare provider that can help their patients improve function and mobility, relieve pain and live overall more active lives. In addition to treating general dysfunctions, there are a number of other specialty areas as well. These include treatment of neurological conditions, orthopedic conditions, balance deficits, pelvic health, post surgical rehab and pediatric conditions, just to name a few.
ChoosePT has developed a toolkit to help get information out to your community. You can find the toolkit here. It includes advertisements, flyers and postcards, merchandise and a public service announcement that can be downloaded to your website.
Another way to celebrate is to volunteer. APTA Engage is the organization’s volunteer platform. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the APTA, they have introduced 100 Days of Service. This will kick off on September 22nd and run for the last 100 days of 2021. This is meant to spark community involvement and increased awareness of the physical therapy profession. The APTA has collaborated with Special Olympics, Go Baby Go and Move Together. They have created toolkits that are available to be used at no cost. The toolkits, along with other great information and volunteer ideas, are available on the APTA Centennial Website.
Show your support! You can include the logo for National Physical Therapy Month on your email signature, update your social media sites and display some swag on yourself or within your clinic. These efforts will all draw attention to the month-long celebration and more importantly, the tremendous benefits physical therapy can offer individuals in their goal to stay active.
