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PHYS THER
Vol. 82, No. 10, October 2002, p. 1043
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Letters and Responses

Not "Just" a Physical Therapist


To the Editor:

I would like to congratulate you on a well-thought-out, well-written, and accurate editorial ("Who We Are Versus What We Do") in the July 2002 issue of the Journal. Although I have no data to support my feelings, I have often felt professionally belittled by what others call physical therapy. Unfortunately, the sin is most often committed by my relatives!

I am a new physical therapist. I practiced for 1 year in a large, urban teaching hospital in Philadelphia and have recently made a switch to outpatient care, mostly orthopedics. Although there is much that I do not know, I do know that I am not a "grunt" who massages people, rubs an ultrasound device over their sore spots, and hooks them up to any electrical stimulation machine I can find. And I certainly do not throw darts at a wall to decide what to do!

I also appreciate your comments regarding the plethora of titles that have sprung to life after some physical therapists' names. Sometimes I get the impression that if one is not a Feldenkrais or McKenzie or Craniosacral or whatever therapist, then one is "just" a physical therapist. In my opinion, the title "physical therapist" is the pinnacle, and the rest of these designations are tools that helped one reach the pinnacle—not vice versa.

Michael GallagherPT

Penobscot Bay Medical Center
Rockport, Me

 

To the Editor:

Your July 2002 Editor's Note was well written and insightful. However, I believe that the "irreparable harm" of which you speak is a self-inflicted wound. If our colleagues in research and medicine are lacking in knowledge of our professional scope, it is because we have failed to educate them. Our competitors have gotten a "leg up on us," so to speak, by using aggressive and clever marketing strategies. I am also disappointed that many in our ranks fail to read what literature is out there and fail to adjust their practice patterns accordingly. (Please, at least go to PubMed and read a few abstracts once in a while!) In the past, I believe our Association also has failed to be proactive in marketing the profession and in encouraging sound, clinically relevant research.

However, I do not believe that the damage is irreparable. APTA has done an incredible job over the past 5 years in the legal and legislative arenas. Managed care and prospective payment also have been a wake-up call of sorts to those in lethargy who would treat with hot packs and ultrasound 3 times a week forever. I also applaud those in research who are doing a great job of closing the gap between science and science fiction.

Becki Puskar

Scottdale, Pa


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Related Article

Who We Are Versus What We Do
Jules M Rothstein
Physical Therapy 2002 82: 646-647. [Full Text]



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Copyright © 2002 by the American Physical Therapy Association.