"The Good Stuff" is an occasional series that highlights recent media coverage of physical therapy and APTA members, with an emphasis on good news and stories of how individual PTs and PTAs are transforming health care and society every day. Enjoy!
Feeling the beat of pain management: Don Walsh, PT, DPT, MS, associate professor of physical therapy at North Georgia University, has teamed with professors from the school's music department to offer a drum circle as part of a pain management program—an idea funded in part by Move Together's Pro Bono Incubator. (Gainesville, Georgia, Times)
Helping to shape health care policy: Alan Meade PT, ScDPT, MPH, has been appointed to the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education. (CMS announcement)
Assistant coach/PT: Maral Javadifar, PT, DPT, talks about the path that led her to her position as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (ESPN)
Foam roller risks: Danielle Weis, PT, DPT, has a few words of warning for foam roller fanatics. (wellandgood.com)
I like big putts and I cannot lie: Morgan Lemos, PT, DPT, describes how physical therapy can keep golfers on the course. (NBC2 News, Fort Meyers, Florida)
Quotable: “Physical therapy and occupational therapy are important to him because he’s trying to gain the strength to stand from his chair for his badge pinning and salute for the national anthem." -Jessica Greenfield, whose 11-year-old son Miller aspires to become a police officer as he struggles with the challenges of a neurodegenerative disease. Miller was recently accepted as a cadet in the Sacramento, California, police department. (CBS13 News, Sacramento)
Strength, courage, and inspiration in fighting cancer: Michelle Masterson, PT, PhD, delivered a moving speech at a cancer survivor celebration held by the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center at the University of Toledo Medical Center. (Toledo, Ohio, Blade)
Bringing a PT perspective to CMS: Carmen Cooper-Orguz, PT, DPT, MBA, has been named to the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's annual advisory panel on hospital outpatient payment. (Federal Register)
Sculpting a PT vision: Richard Smith PT, MS, has retired from his clinic position and is now making his mark as a sculptor. (Fairfield, Montana, Sun-Times)
Getting in the swim of things: Laura Diamond, PT, MSPT, MS, leads a swim team of patients, family, and friends that competes in local fundraising events for cancer research. (Lincoln, Massachusetts Wicked Local)
A PT's testimony on serving in the military as a transgender woman: Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik, PT, DPT, testified to congress about the contributions made to national defense by her and other transgender individuals in the military. (NBC News)
When discomfort takes off: Blake Dircksen PT,DPT, offers tips on the best way to sit on a long flight. (lifehacker.com)
Get some rest: Alika Antone, PT, DPT, discusses the importance of adequate sleep to good health. (South Sound Magazine)
Don't stand for sitting: Kasey Kruse PT, DPT, outlines the risks of too much sitting, and what can be done to address them. (CBS News11/21, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas)
Quotable: "We physical therapists hope that people will begin to see physical therapy as a necessary and tremendously helpful part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eventually, we hope people will come to physical therapy for an annual check up, so that we can spot dysfunction before it becomes painful and problematic." –Rena Eleazar, PT, DPT, on helping people to understand when they should see a PT. (Self)
Helping heroes regain independence: Whitney Anderson, PT, DPT, shares her pride in being part of a rehab team that helped a wounded warrior gain independence through use of an exoskeleton. (KFOR News 4, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Easing plantar fasciitis pain: Chris Wilson, PT, outlines ways to manage plantar fasciitis at home. (Frontiersman)
Got the (tummy) time? Tricia Catalino, PT, DSc, and Jill Heathcock, PT, MPT, PhD, discuss the importance of "tummy time" for infants. (New York Times)
Worth the weight: Keaton Ray PT, DPT, ATC, provides pointers on how to start weight training the right way. (nextavenue.org)
The Lakers' PT advantage: Judy Seto, PT, DPT, has been named director of sports performance for the Los Angeles Lakers. (lakersnation.com)
The keys to more years in the driver's seat: Heidi Piccione PT, DPT, recommends movements that can build flexibility to help older adults keep driving. (Tampa Bay, Florida, Times)
Journal-publishing how-tos: Christopher Kevin Wong PT, PhD, and Jean Fitzpatrick Timmerberg PT, MHS, PhD, share what they've learned about starting up an academic journal (they're cofounders of the Journal of Clinical Education in Physical Therapy). (Columbia University Medical Center newsletter)
Let's dance: Michelle Reilly PT, DPT, explains how dancing can be an effective alternative to the gym when it comes to staying physically fit and active. (Omaha, Nebraska, World-Herald)
Quotable: “There are times where somebody else has the knowledge that a physician doesn’t have to be the leader. A good example would be if physical therapy or some other modality is more important to the patient progressing. In those instances, the physician shouldn’t be necessarily calling the shots.” – Jason Higginson, MD, chief of pediatrics at eh Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, and co-author of JAMA module on working in interprofessional teams. (American Medical Association newsletter)
Got some good stuff? Let us know. Send a link to troyelliott@apta.org.