American Physical Therapy Association: Recent Episodes
American Physical Therapy Association
While softball may have led a PT to her physical therapy career, physical therapy led her to a welcome softball side effect.
Presenters for an APTA online course on Long COVID talk about why you should tune in or download.
A patient’s permanent reminder of her physical therapist’s instruction left an indelible mark on both of them.
Stay on top of developments in PT practice: APTA staff experts on new learning opportunities, the latest clinical practice guidelines available, and exactly what’s meant by the term “digital health.” Also, the importance of taking care of yourself.
Hear what APTA President Roger Herr, PT, MPA, has to say about where the profession is, and what it will take to pursue our full potential.
A former newscaster trades the thrill of chasing down a story for the higher satisfaction of improving patients’ lives.
Physical therapists working with people with long COVID should measure and validate the patient’s experience.
Physical therapists working with people with long COVID should measure and validate the patient’s experience.
Chase Kuhn, PT, DPT, and Nate Thomas, PT, DPT, didn’t know each other a few months ago, but once introduced they realized they have a few things in common. Both PTs from the midwest, both having been selected as the APTA Harker Intern within APTA’s Government Affairs department, and serving as APTA Student Assembly Board … Continue reading A Shared Experience: Members Discuss Their Professional Experience in Advocacy
A home visit to a patient with an intriguing background leads a PT back to the profession.
A PT student understands that helping a patient is more than furnishing billable service units.
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes play an important role in describing services and procedures performed by health care providers and ultimately in the payment for those services. This podcast reveals the role that APTA member volunteers play as advisors in the CPT and The Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) process.
Physical therapists working with people with long COVID should measure and validate the patient’s experience.
PTJ walks you through the complexities around multiparticipant therapy provision in SNFs.
A volunteer guideline development group of the American Physical Therapy Association has developed a clinical practice guideline on Parkinson disease.
Actions both small and heroic as a “yellow jacket” in an NYU summer program prompted a career in physical therapy. By: Gary Krasilovsky, PT, PhD
This updated Integrated Framework for making clinical decisions responds to changes in evidence, policy, and practice.
In this discussion, a panel of physical therapists on the front lines of shaping clinical practice share their plans for creating knowledge translation tools for the Parkinson CPG and their goals for implementation into practice, and more.
This learning health system can serve as a blueprint for physical therapists to make optimal use of routinely collected clinical data for improving care for patients with a variety of conditions.
A light came on not only in a dark hospital basement but in a future PT’s head that this was her ideal career. By Linda Pillow, PT
A PT recalls overcoming her own obstacles to become a board-certified orthopaedic clinical specialist and help others reach their goals. By Natalie Snyder, PT, DPT
A light came on not only in a dark hospital basement but in a future PT’s head that this was her ideal career.
Janet R Bezner, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, discusses simple, actionable items related to your personal and professional well-being as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant.
The future of health care professional education is moving from a focus on the individual to embrace the health of the larger society. Read the PTJ article
With many state legislatures now or soon to be in session, now’s the time to get up-to-speed on what’s happening in physical therapy advocacy at the state level. Topics covered include direct access, the physical therapy compact, telehealth, and more.
The first wave of this study’s findings provides insights into physical therapist education and identified differences between physical therapist and medical student perceptions. Read PTJ Article.
The pandemic has affected physical therapy professionals in many ways, including mentally and financially. PTs and PTAs, be prepared for the federal loan repayment to start up again, and how to give yourself permission to spend on the fun stuff.
Get answers to questions specifically directed at nutritional needs of a busy clinician. Learn how to best hydrate your body, what quick snacks, herbs and spices pack the most nutritional punch, plus great fermented foods, and how to figure out if you’re having healthy bowel movements.
Racism exists throughout the organizations and systems that make up the physical therapy profession in the United States. Statements of support must be substantiated by actions that drive change throughout physical therapy organizations. Read PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal article.
The author of a recent study, “Moral Injury Signified by Levels of Moral Distress and Burnout in Health Science Clinical Educators” answers questions and defines moral injury and how it relates to burnout, and more specifically how both experiences affect physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who serve as clinical instructors.
Play is a vital part of physical therapy for children with autism, cerebral palsy, or other developmental disabilities. Two moms and bloggers discuss raising kids with different abilities and share toy tips. A PT provides further advice.
Knowing the risk of harm associated with exercise can better inform safe dosing of exercise, clinical implementation, and replicability. Read the PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal article.
Join Brian Gilbert, PT, MSPT, and Paul White, PhD, psychologist and co-author of the book “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace,” as they discuss the value of expressing appreciation in ways that tell employees and colleagues you really mean it.
As Congress attends to business in the last days before recess for the year, there are several important issues on the table, including a bill to address the fee schedule cuts, and legislation aimed at the PTA differential. Here’s a rundown of where things stand, and what you can do to help urge Congress to … Continue reading Advocacy Update: Payment Cuts, PTA Differential, and Other Issues in the Last Weeks of 2021
Listen to PTJ’s author interview with Anneleen Malfliet on the why and how of integrating weight reduction with chronic pain management. https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/101/11/pzab198/6352462
Learn about the benefits of adding bicycling to your life, the challenges you may face, and how to overcome them.
Many of us have seen the sad, steady march of Alzheimer’s disease in friends or loved ones. Can people with advancing dementia benefit from physical therapy and physical activity? Learn how some symptoms can be improved or delayed.
PTJ talks with author Phoebe Simpson about biopsychosocial treatment for pain. https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/101/10/pzab188/6330890
The Core App by Hyperice is a mindfulness meditation app grounded in science and driven by data. It’s designed to help you find calm, improve focus, and flex your inner strength to seize the day without it ever seizing you. Learn how this app can help you.
A former ballet dancer sought a more meaningful career that still would keep her on her toes. By Geri Ann Sokell, PT, DPT, MEd.
Physical therapist Sherri Betz describes the differences between osteopenia, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis. She also highlights the importance of strength-building exercise to prevent and improve bone loss.
PTJ talks about predicting low back pain improvement improvement. Read the article at https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/101/10/pzab176/6326850
APTA Fit for Practice, powered by Hyperice, is designed to help you recover, evolve, and remain resilient as we move forward into a postpandemic workplace. This episode provides a high-level overview of the initiative, what you can expect, and more.
Defining moments can come more than once, a move to America, the birth of a baby, starting a practice, and a being thrown a curveball.
APTA’s monthly advocacy and regulatory update has expanded to cover commercial payment issues! In this episode: how the commercial insurance industry is altering the course of telehealth for PTs and PTAs, the evolution of utilization management (and APTA’s impact on that evolution), and advice on addressing challenges with payers.
PTJ talks with Pamela Dunlap about fear-avoidance beliefs and how measurement of those beliefs can help clinicians identify people at a greater risk of disability after vestibular disorder. “We had hypothesized that fear-avoidance would be associated with symptom burden, function, quality of life, disability, and psychological distress,” Dunlap says, but until the development of the … Continue reading Vestibular Disorders: Fear-Avoidance Beliefs and Perceived Disability
See the history of the physical therapy profession in a different light! Editor-in-Chief Alan Jette, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with David Nicholls, author of PTJ’s latest history essay and of the controversial 2017 book titled “The End of Physiotherapy.”
Have you ever stopped to think about your bias? In ways big and small, we all express bias, but it’s up to us to meet our bias with awareness, empathy, and with inclusivity in mind. In this discussion, we’ll talk about these themes and more with physical therapist and educator Brian Wilkinson, PT, DPT, who … Continue reading Advancing Inclusion in the Classroom — and Beyond
We’ve wrapped up a #FightTheCut virtual rally that brought together PTs, PTAs, and students from across the country to send a clear message to CMS about the flawed 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule it proposed. So where do things stand now? This podcast takes a post-rally look at where we are—and what needs to happen … Continue reading The #FightTheCut Virtual Rally: How Did We Do, and What’s Next?
Listen to this PTJ interview that discusses two recent essays on the history of physical therapy in the military, as well as important and insightful lessons on what can be learned from the military to empower the profession in civilian health care.
Paralympic swimmer Alyssa Gialamas may have seemed unlikely to become a world-class athlete when she was born with arthrogryposis, a rare condition causing rigid joints. Hard work and physical therapy helped her get there.
APTA’s monthly practice update covers multiple topics from the perspective of what’s happened, what’s hot right now, and what to keep an eye on in the future. In this episode: physical therapists in emergency care, learning center resources, COVID-19, and more.
A physical therapist known to two kids only as “the Exercise Lady” helped both them and their family in a time of need. Pat McAdoo, PT
PTJ Editor-in-Chief Alan Jette, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Kathleen Mangione, PT, PhD, FAPTA, about something critically important to physical therapists but rarely top of mind: treatment fidelity.
Get updates on the proposed Medicare physician fee schedule, what we’re doing to #FightTheCut, and how you can help.
What’s it like to have long COVID? What’s the best way to address it? A physical therapist shares his knowledge of the condition from several perspectives.
Change is difficult. Those words ring true for most, even for those who consider themselves “change agents,” but change doesn’t have to be negative or a struggle. That’s what we’ll talk about today with Stephanie Kostsuca, PT, DPT.https://www.apta.org/article/2021/03/03/walking-the-walk-of-a-change-agent
It wasn’t until she saw patients with the same rare condition that a PT realized what had been plaguing her own body for years.https://www.apta.org/apta-magazine/2021/08/01/apta-magazine-august-2021/a-lucky-patient-encounter-provides-answers
In June 2020, the American Physical Therapy Association House of Delegates issued a position statement, Support of Emergency Physical Therapist Practice. Despite physical therapists’ knowledge about symptoms and conditions affecting many patients presenting for emergency care, they are not always considered by hospital administrators to be essential to emergency department staffing. In this podcast, APTA … Continue reading Physical Therapy in Emergency Care: A Win-Win for Patients and Hospitals
In a descriptive study that’s already been featured in 14 news stories, Mark Werneke, PT, and colleagues analyzed data on more than 222,000 patients in the Focus on Therapeutic Outcomes database. Werneke and Jette talk in depth about the relatively low use of telerehabilitation in the outpatient population studied.https://academic.oup.com/ptj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ptj/pzab110/6224412
The proposed 2022 Medicare fee schedule is here, and as expected, cuts and the PTA differential are moving forward. Kate Gilliard, APTA senior policy and regulatory affairs specialist, and Justin Elliott, APTA vice president of government affairs, provide an overview of both provisions, plus a look at CMS’ decisions around telehealth for PTs after the … Continue reading An Early Look at the Proposed 2022 Fee Schedule
Director of Communications Lindsay Durand, PT, DPT, of APTA’s Student Assembly Board of Directors, Kelly Quigley, SPT, APTA Student Assembly centennial ambassador, and Gini Blodgett Birchett, MSLS, APTA’s senior information resources specialist, discuss our professional history and take questions from viewers.
Christina Iversen shares about living with juvenile arthritis and offers support and hope for others with the condition, and for parents seeking to ensure that their child experiences life to the fullest.
This PT encourages others in the profession to expand the bounds of what PTs can be. https://www.apta.org/article/2021/06/10/no-one-way-to-be-a-pt
Every patient is a one in a million. By Kathleen Wild PT, DPT. https://www.apta.org/apta-magazine/2021/07/01/apta-magazine-july-2021/looking-for-the-zebras
In this APTA Live event, we will talk with members of the Cross-Academy/Section COVID-19 Core Outcome Measure Task Force about the physical therapy core outcome measures algorithms they developed — one for adults and one for children.
World Physiotherapy, previously known as the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, recently released a briefing paper and toolkit on safe and effective rehabilitation for individuals with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19. APTA member Rebecca Martin, PT, DPT, PhD, who represented APTA in authoring the briefing paper and the toolkit, answers questions about the PT’s role in … Continue reading Safe and Effective Rehabilitation for Long COVID
Dr Dias and his coauthors provide an antidote to the barriers that make it difficult to apply clinical practice guidelines to patients. “There are many inconsistencies in the examination and treatment…[for patients with] heart failure, [and] so often physical therapists have developed their own biases…based on their years of clinical experience,” which present challenges to … Continue reading Help for Clinicians in Applying Clinical Practice Guidelines for Patients With Heart Failure: Author Interview With Dr Konrad Dias
Dr. Jette and the author discuss a range of issues, from the relationship and professional boundaries between physical therapists and dieticians, to practical recommendations for identifying and understanding the behaviors, socioeconomic determinants, and environmental factors that can affect access to proper nutrition. Dr. Berner is coauthor of “Nutrition in Physical Therapist Practice: Setting the Stage … Continue reading Integration of Nutrition in Physical Therapist Practice: An Author Interview with Dr. Patrick Berner
APTA’s monthly advocacy and regulatory update covers multiple topics from the perspective of what’s happened, what’s hot right now, and what to keep an eye on in the future. In this episode: lawmakers focus on the PTA differential, a big telehealth win, a bill to relieve administrative burden in Medicare Advantage, and more.
A PT reflects on opening a clinic in an underserved neighborhood. https://www.apta.org/apta-magazine/2021/06/01/apta-magazine-june-2021/i-see-me-in-you
A mindful pause allows us to reflect and make conscious decisions that spark transformation and help us promote our emotional well-being. Podcast with Monica Jain, PT, DPT. Read the article at https://www.apta.org/article/2021/05/24/mindfulness-just-what-the-pt-ordered
A recent large-scale study of postacute care sponsored by APTA and AOTA has the potential to change the conversation on payment in these settings. This podcast takes a closer look at the TOPS study findings with Jason Falvey, PT, DPT, PhD, who served as an advisor on the study’s methodology and analysis.
This May installment of APTA’s monthly advocacy and regulatory roundup focuses on SNF and IRF rules, a sequestration win, telehealth, and more.
Could a massive new study change the conversation on payment in postacute care settings? The research, involving 1.4 million episodes of rehab in SNFs, IRFs, and home health agencies, has major implications for discussions about a one-size-fits-all policy approaches.
In this episode, experts explore how the mind and body intersect in the healing process, and how physical therapists and physical therapist assistants can provide better patient care by understanding the body’s response to stress and trauma.
A mother driven to help her infant son discovers the Early Intervention Program and fights to get him access to therapies that have helped him thrive and keep up with his peers.
After years of working with patients, Sara DeMars, PT, DPT, has learned the power that words and word choice can have when working with patients. Sara believes that through being aware of our verbal communication and avoiding broad language we can actually make a big impact when it comes to patient care. Here’s our discussion … Continue reading The Power of Words
A hospital PT finds meaning in a visit with a patient with COVID-19. Read the article at: https://www.apta.org/apta-magazine/2021/05/01/apta-magazine-may-2021/a-brief-but-meaningful-encounter
APTA Student Assembly Board of Directors, Director of Communications, Lindsay Durand, SPT, talks with Alex Macielak from Laurel Road and Kevin Soehner from Enrich about what you need to know about your financial wellness, student debt and refinancing, spending habits, and more.
Find it hard to keep up with what’s happening on Capitol Hill, in Medicare, and other regulatory arenas? You’re not alone. Now you can get up-to-speed, fast: APTA offers a podcast-based roundup of what’s going on, and what our panel of staff experts says needs to be on your radar. We cover multiple topics from … Continue reading Regulatory and Advocacy Update, April 2021
In this conversation with Editor-in-Chief Alan Jette, Dr. Keil notes that the evidence supporting direct access is now clear and that data indicate that physical therapists refer for imaging less often and use it more appropriately than other first-contact providers.https://academic.oup.com/ptj/pages/podcasts#36e2ce14316c8af4f11a
While one-to-one care is the main focus of most physical therapy providers, looking at the health of a population — however you define it — can reveal patterns and obstacles that can be addressed.
Jennifer looked for and got help from medical providers. She did everything she was told to do, but nothing worked. In pain, inactive, and gaining weight, Jennifer was discouraged. Then she found help from physical therapists.
Editor-in-Chief Alan Jette gets at the practical—and ethical—realities involved in studying children. Dr. Harbourne shares insights from her decades of research with children, on such topics as parents’ insistence on usual care. What is the take-home message for early interventionists? It might surprise you. https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/101/2/pzaa232/6056331
Two PT students share their experiences in the times of COVID-19. We also talk about mental health and stress — all of which aren’t new to PT and PTA students but may be different or heightened due to the pandemic.
Interview with Dr. Sandra Hon on her study—which found that direct access to physical therapy is more cost-effective than physician-first access in the United States, with greater functional improvement–in the context of current and especially pandemic-related economic realities. https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article-abstract/101/1/pzaa201/5999910?redirectedFrom=fulltext
In this podcast, we take closer look at the information blocking rule: where it came from, who it affects, how it works, and what it means for PTs and PTAs.
As a punishing linebacker for the Texas Longhorns, Robert Killebrew delivered pain. Nowadays, however, as a physical therapist he’s all about relieving it.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the number of patients seeking physical therapist services via telehealth. This paradigm shift will improve access to care, but it also brings change.
This podcast focuses on panelists’ experiences as internationally educated physical therapists working with recruiters, and how elements of the APTA House of Delegates guideline “Recruiting and Hiring Internationally Educated Physical Therapists” were put into practice and resulted in a good experience.
As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available and distribution plans vary by state, APTA Practice and Regulatory Affairs staff and members will discuss the latest updates on vaccine distribution, access, and administration.
Physical therapy has an important role in addressing the challenges of a devastating disease.
Dr. Sahrmann elaborates on her thought-provoking Point of View in a conversation that acknowledges some of the differences of opinion and controversies surrounding this vital topic.
Lindsay Durand, SPT, APTA Student Assembly director of communications, and Tonya Olson, MSPT, DPT, discuss the benefits of online learning, hybrid education, and how to make the most of your virtual learning experiences.
In this episode we talk to Chris Lane, PT, DPT, is a PhD and Louise Thoma, PT, DPT, PhD about their career journeys, things to consider when pursuing a PhD, both personally and professionally, and advice they’d give to those interested in this professional path. Here’s our discussion.
Learn from PTAs who have taken the lead on navigating through their careers and finding rewarding pathways to professional success.
MOVEMENT2BE motivates kids, who might not otherwise have access to team sports and extracurricular activities, to value and take part in physical activities to achieve a healthy life.
Zach Waltson, PT, DPT, is an avid reader who is continuously learning, seeking to grow and reflect, and ultimately striving be the best clinician and mentor he can be. In this episode, Zach shares his message to seek out more information, identify bias and limitations when they exist, find mentors, and reflect on experiences whenever … Continue reading Maximizing Your Potential as a Professional
Doctors told parents of newborn Eli Starkey that he might never speak or walk. Eli’s parents and PT Anna Howard discuss the cutting edge treatment, physical therapy, faith, and determination that has Eli walking, talking, and playing ball.
Building strength and emphasizing healthy movement through physical therapy can be a valuable tool to help people who have eating disorders. It also is a means of improving people’s long-term recovery. https://www.choosept.com/radio/detail/value-of-physical-therapy-in-addressing-life-limit
In this episode, Cameron Massumi, PT, DPT talks about how he reassessed his career goals and journey, how this year forced him to be creative and innovative, and he gives tips for listeners to consider when things don’t go according to your plan.
Listen to this update advocacy efforts to stop the cut, recently introduced legislation, and learn why it is still imperative to continue to take action.
In a conversation from his current station in South Korea, Major Eric Walter, PT, DPT talks about how he decided to become a physical therapist in the military, what his day-to-day is like, and why serving as a military PT is different than in the civilian world.
Back pain with sciatica— can upset the rhythm and quality of life. The typical wait-and-see approach can prolong pain needlessly. PT and researcher Julie Fritz shares significant findings that suggest it’s time to make changes to typical care.
Join your host Yusra Iftikhar, PT, DPT, Director of Communications, APTA Student Assembly for a discussion on the topics of body dysmorphia, body image, and physical therapy treatment with guests Krystyna Holland, PT, DPT, and Ivana Salazar Fryer, PTA, BS, RYT
Learn how you can take action, and why it matters. With PTA Caucus Delegate, Jodi Pfeiffer, chats with Kara Gainer, APTA director of regulatory affairs, and Justin Elliot, APTA vice president of government affairs.
In this installment in our DEI Discussion series we focus on pathways to leadership. We discuss how to create pathways, how to facilitate them through mentorship, and the ways volunteers can support structures and groups that keep those pathways open into the future.
Becoming a U.S.-licensed PT, for someone who has attained entry-level education internationally is a feat. Learn about these challenges and how you can make a difference.
Three pain experts share how physical therapists can help people of all ages reduce their chances of developing pain, manage the effects of pain, and lead an active, healthful, and full life.
In this episode, Heidi Moyer, PT, DPT, shares what she’s learned through her years working on teams and gives tips for successful team work.
Many older adults feel good but find themselves sitting too much, out of shape, and out of sorts. Senior athletes Learn how it’s never too late to be physically active and feel good.
Join us as we talk to Ashley Johnson, PT, DPT, and Craig Phifer, PT, MHA, about starting a practice and innovative ways to run a business.
The second installment of our DEI Discussions series focuses on the career “pipeline” and equity.
Learn about causes and effects of problems of the pelvic floor muscles, and what women, men, and runners should know, including woment during and after pregnancy.
Sean Bagbey, PTA, ATC, MHA, and Kacey Kline, PTA, BS, discuss the role of the PTA and the value they offer to the profession. They also discussed the implications of COVID-19, the looming budget cuts from CMS, and the job outlook for the profession.