Patient, heal thyself.

Maybe that's not exactly what regenerative medicine is all about, but it's close: with its emphasis on enhancing the body's own genetically driven capabilities to repair damage and reestablish neural connections, regenerative medicine is pushing the boundaries of what we know about the healing capacities hidden in our own DNA. And physical therapists (PTs) are bringing an important perspective and set of unique skills to the field.

"PTs on Rehab's Leading Edge," in the April issue of PT in Motion magazine, takes a look at the current state of regenerative medicine, robotics, and genomics in physical rehabilitation, and finds a growing appreciation for what PTs bring to the table and the ways movement and exercise can affect health at the cellular level.

The article covers current approaches including the use of platelet-rich plasma and neural retraining through the use of robotic exoskeletons, but also explores what the future may hold as researchers such as Richard Shields, PT, PhD, FAPTA, and Steve Wolf, PT, PhD, FAPTA, work to better understand the science of regenerative medicine and prepare the next generation of PTs for what will one day be a very different health care environment.

"As the field of medical regenerative medicine progresses, so too will physical therapy," Shields tells PT in Motion. "How are you going to manipulate the genetics? You're likely going to do it through various forms of technology that allow us to apply loads and movement, whether through robotics or just plain exercise. Understanding how to dose for cellular response is going to be the new frontier."

"PTs on Rehab's Leading Edge" is featured in the April issue of PT in Motion magazine and is open to all viewers—pass it along to nonmember colleagues to show them one of the benefits of belonging to APTA.