Happy National PT Month

Your October might be spent ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the leaves changing colors, enjoying—or avoiding—mountains of chocolate in your kids’ trick-or-treat bags, and taking advantage of sweater weather. Or, if you’re in Arizona (like I am), you could be enjoying your October in the low triple digits, sipping an iced coffee. Either way, this month, you’ve got plenty of reasons to celebrate—among them: what it means to be a PT. Because one more thing that’s synonymous with October—besides pumpkin spice lattes—is National PT Month.

A little background on National PT Month: Originally known as National Therapy Week, this event used to occur in June. However, in 1992, the event moved to October to avoid conflict with the APTA’s annual conference and expo. The celebration also expanded from one week to one month. (Something awesome to note: National PT Month is a recognized celebration in the National Health Observances Calendar.)

Each year, there is a new theme, and 2014’s is “Top Seven Myths About Physical Therapy.” During your career, you most likely have heard your fair share of myths about physical therapy, and this month is a great opportunity to debunk those myths. The APTA would love for you to email submissions on what you—as a PT—believe to be some of the biggest therapy myths.

While there are certainly plenty of PT-related myths out there—such as, “You can’t see a physical therapist without a referral from your doctor”—WebPT founder and COO, Dr. Heidi Jannenga (a PT herself), encourages her colleagues to focus on the value and impact of their services as they celebrate National PT Month. “We must take advantage of the spotlight this month to highlight the benefits and cost savings that we as PTs bring to the healthcare continuum,” she said. “As PTs, we change peoples’ lives, whether we treat pediatric or geriatric patients—pre-surgery, post-surgery, or preventatively—and this is a month to celebrate and focus on the power of our profession.”

Just a few short weeks ago, we were celebrating World PT Day; now, you have yet another opportunity to remember why you’re the expert, the musculoskeletal pro, the movement specialist—and why you decided to make a change in the world. So, for the next 31 days, go ahead and sing your own praises—yes, toot your own horn!—and let the world know why PT matters. This is a time to reflect, be thankful, and spread the word as to why PT is valuable. This month, debunk the myths, and focus on the true strengths of therapy.

Happy National PT Month!