Movement: The Heart of our Profession

As new graduates and professionals in the field of physical therapy, we are often asked what specialty degrees we plan on earning after graduation: manual therapy certifications, dry needling, active release, or whatever the current coolest technique on the block might be. While we are excited to learn these techniques and add fancy interventions to our PT toolbox, we must remember what is at the core of our treatment sessions: Movement. 

In this recent blog post by Allan Besselink, he does an excellent job reminding us of this concept. The following quote should give you a glimpse of what he is talking about: "Our profession has ignored that which makes us unique in the spectrum of health and health care. We are a movement profession. We are the experts in exercise prescription, in restoring function, and in enhancing performance. No other profession – including physicians, chiropractors, massage therapists, you name it – knows movement and function like we do." 

While specialty certifications serve their purpose, they are blurring the image of what we do best. We hold a unique position in the healthcare market and need to capitalize on this potential before it is too late. We all need to demonstrate and practice the same passion as Allan for unifying our profession if we ever expect to become more autonomous. 

---