Are We Losing Ground?
When was the last time you educated a consumer, who was not a patient, about the profession and what physical therapy can do for them? Are you actively marketing yourself or the profession for more than just rehabilitation? Do you perform any public relations activities directed towards the general consumer in anyway?
I am led to those questions when I regularly see consumers opt for services from fitness professionals and not physical therapists even when they need rehabilitating. I recently did a radio interview and I was asked to define for the audience the difference between a physical therapist and personal trainer. Have we put ourselves in the situation of only being there when someone has surgery, an injury or a stroke but don't call us when you're well or want to be better than what you are?
Those same questions come to mind when I see print, web, radio and television media feature stories about ergonomics, pain relief, corrective exercise and addressing muscle imbalances without even the slightest mention of a PT. So are we being neglectful in one of our responsibilities to educate the public about who we are and how we are different from other professions?
Apparently we are only thought of when rehabilitation is needed but not to prevent injuries, maintain fitness or wellness. Consumers seem to think of us as reactive and not proactive. I've been told by consumers that they "go to the PT if they're sick and the trainer if they're well."
Just last week, my local news ran a story on "How to eliminate pain and muscle imbalances with a new technique." The featured technique was Muscle Activation Technique. The featured professional was a personal trainer "certified" in Muscle Activation Technique. Of course the fitness industry and even wellness is associated with wellness, beauty, energy and youth. Some consumers think fast fix, results and a different environment versus that which they see in a typical outpatient clinical setting. It simply seems more appealing. I've had friends, family and everyone in between ask "what can physical therapy do if I'm not sick?"-my trainer says he can do that for me. I recently heard of one person who told a PT his trainer could assist him in the gym to work his injured rotator cuff.
Truth be told, yes, I'm a trainer. But I have to separate the professions while recognizing areas that really would benefit from improvements. At no point in time as a trainer did any client ever ask for evidence that showed what I would do for them that would get them their desired outcome. They never winced at my charges. Rarely if ever did they no show. They were willing to do whatever I suggested if they thought for an instant it would get them closer to their fitness goals. Yes, they stuck with it if it worked, but the burden of proof was never brought up.
So now trainers are "learning" self-myofascial release and using it with clients completely unregulated and without any standardized education. One organization which has actually taught self-myofascial release is actually owned by a PT. Now, there are corrective exercise specialists which do even more by their claims. I suspect if you find something to correct you must have evaluated the person first in order to determine what needs to be corrected which would then be a treatment.
Trainers have access to our medical devices such as electrical stimulation that they can order online, our text books and can even attend our continuing education courses sometimes. Does the consumer know how to differentiate between the two professions? Is there a tool or source they can refer to in order to assist them in making the decision? All of this is going on in your backyard.
Please accept these observations in the spirit in which they are being provided. I come from a place of wishing for and appreciating an educated, evidenced based integrative approach to actively seeking wellness by taking advantage of what both professions have to offer. Fitness professionals have a very important role in some of our patient's lives and for that I'm appreciative. However, the fitness professionals will do more and more of our jobs if we don't educate ourselves about the fitness industry and educate the consumers that we are experts in movement best trained to work with them by the application of sound evidenced based practice.
Making ourselves more approachable and attractive to the general consumer so they see us differently may be a step in the right direction. So the next time the local news covers Muscle Activation Technique, myofascial release, and ergonomics they will include a PT. Write a consumer article in your local newspaper or consumer magazine. And, managers, yes! We need time to do it. There is more to our profession than just patient care. We need visibility that's non-clinical among consumers. Otherwise our patient base may erode right under our noses. You may find that a little media coverage may go a long way when it comes to patient's seeking your clinic out for care. We could stand to learn something from the fitness industry when it comes to public relations and marketing.
Be an ambassador for physical therapy and protect the profession you worked so hard to be a part. Embrace your fitness professionals. Maybe learning from you will show them how to be good at what they do without trying to do more than they should so we protect the consumer.
So, integrate, educate and communicate.