**Physical Therapy is Not Just for Recovery**
Many people think physical therapy (PT) is only about helping you recover from surgery or a serious injury. But that’s not true. For most of us, PT should be about staying healthy and strong.
According to Sharon Dunn, a past president of the American Physical Therapy Association, “we’re the best-kept secret in healthcare.” This means that people often don’t know what physical therapists can do for them until they really need it.
**PT is About Prevention**
Dunn, along with current APTA President Roger Herr and Gammon Earhart from Washington University, want to change how people think about PT. They say it’s not just about helping you recover from a problem – but also about preventing problems in the first place.
“We need to get out of our silos,” said Dunn, which means getting out of the traditional clinics and into the community. This way, physical therapists can help more people stay healthy and strong.
**What Do Physical Therapists Really Do?**
Many people think that when you see a PT, they just give you massages until you feel better. But that’s not true. A big part of what PTs do is evaluate your movement and find ways to make it more efficient and safe. They also give you exercises to do at home to help prevent problems.