The rise and importance of physical therapy are being increasingly recognized, according to Dr. Heidi Jannenga. Despite the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating that around 240,000 physical therapists are currently operating in the U.S., Dr. Jannenga feels that there is still a gap in the general awareness about the various roles and benefits of physical therapy.
Physical therapists primarily assist athletes in enhancing their training and recovery processes. However, these healthcare professionals are not just limited to sports. They also ensure preventive care and impart post-injury assistance to individuals of varied age groups and activity levels.
As a former physical therapist with close to 25 years of experience, Dr. Jannenga is the Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of WebPT, which offers the leading rehab therapy platform for Practice Experience Management (PXM). She has been instrumental in WebPT’s growth and success, creating a culture of innovation, cooperation, and caretaking. So far, the organization has been listed among the fastest-growing private firms on the Inc. 5000 list nine times. WebPT’s success has been primarily driven by their ability to innovate solutions for industrial difficulties.
Dr. Jannenga highlights the misconceptions often associated with physical therapy. Firstly, many believe that physical therapy is strictly for sports injuries. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as therapists also provide immense value in cardiovascular, orthopedic, geriatric, and neurological care, among other specialties.
Another misconception is that physical therapists are not doctors. However, as of 2016, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) has made it mandatory for all physical therapists to have a Doctorate Degree of Physical Therapy (DPT). Another fallacy is the belief that one needs a physician’s reference to avail the services of a physical therapist. This again is inaccurate as direct access permits patients in all 50 of the U.S states to consult a physical therapist without a prior physician consultation.
Moreover, many assume that a seriously injured individual should only see a physical therapist, which again is an erroneous belief. Physical therapists provide preventative care, maintenance assistance, and post-injury help across all specialties. They play a significant role in addressing population health issues such as diabetes management, obesity, pain management, and more.
Despite the demonstrated benefits of seeing a physical therapist, there is still a lack of public awareness about its effectiveness in injury prevention and pain management for the average individual. Many factors contribute to this, such as a lack of understanding of their roles and expertise, variations in insurance plans, etc.
Physical therapists significantly contribute to saving overall healthcare costs while maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction. A recent Medicare study found that health plans could save between US$4,000 and US$8,000 per member with increased utilization of physical therapy services and reduced need for expensive surgeries.
Physical therapists remain a critical, underutilized resource in healthcare, largely due to lack of public awareness about the wide applications and benefits of their services. By boosting education and awareness, the vital contributions of physical therapists could be better understood, ultimately reducing healthcare costs and improving patient outcomes on a broader level.
