Integrating Lifestyle Medicine into Physical Therapy

More than six years in the past, a small group of us shared a imaginative and prescient: that bodily and occupational therapists have an amazing alternative to rework well being care by integrating life-style medication into on a regular basis observe.

That imaginative and prescient grew to become the American College of Lifestyle Medicine PT/OT Member Interest Group, and what an unimaginable journey it has been.

Today, I’m honored to share the Integrating Lifestyle Medicine into Physical Therapy Toolkit, a sensible useful resource designed to assist bodily therapists combine life-style medication into on a regular basis scientific observe. It contains evidence-based screening instruments, habits change methods, scientific choice assist, affected person sources, and implementation steering to assist whole-person care.

This toolkit has actually been a labor of affection. It represents greater than six years of constructing a group, advocating for our career, collaborating with colleagues throughout the nation, and believing that bodily therapists have a good higher function in well being care. Countless volunteer hours, considerate discussions, writing, reviewing, and unwavering dedication from so many individuals made this doable.

I’m deeply grateful to my fellow contributors Nola S. Peacock PT, DSc, Ziya Altug, PT, DPT, MS, DipACLM, OCS, CSCS, Hazel Anderson, and Ginger Garner PT, DPT, ATC-Ret, DipACLM, whose experience and dedication helped carry this mission to life. Thank you additionally to each member of the PT/OT Member Interest Group who shared concepts, supported each other, and helped form this imaginative and prescient into actuality.

As I step apart as Chair, I couldn’t be extra excited to see this work proceed beneath the excellent management of Heather Thomas, Ph.D, OTR/L, DipACLM., Shirish Sachdeva DPT, MS, RMSK, DipACLM, CP-MSK, FOR, PGDipPPHC, DipDN, BPT, and Hazel Anderson. I do know they are going to proceed to develop this group and advance life-style medication all through rehabilitation.

Thank you to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine for believing on this imaginative and prescient and supporting our work from the very starting.

This toolkit is greater than a useful resource. It represents a motion inside our career. Physical and Occupational Therapists are uniquely positioned to forestall, deal with, and assist handle continual illness by addressing the life-style elements that drive well being. We have the chance to maneuver past treating signs and change into leaders in whole-person care.

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