To strangers on the street, physical therapists are just another type of healthcare professional. To our patients, however, physical therapists are their personal superheroes. Not only can physical therapists help to restore lost or damaged functionality, but we can also strengthen muscles and protect our patients from risk factors, such as joint overuse.
In other words, the impacts of this profession are significant—that’s why we celebrate World Physical Therapy Day! World Physical Therapy Day is the ideal opportunity to acknowledge the crucial contribution PTs make to the global health market, as well as advance our peers in the field. Discover how to celebrate World PT Day with your team this year!
The World Confederation of Physical Therapy (WCPT), now known as World Physiotherapy, was originally founded back on September 8, 1951. The organization was established as a means to measure, report, and endorse the impact of the global physiotherapy community. It has since represented approximately 127 organizations and over 600,000 physical therapists worldwide.
In 1996, WCPT officially designated its founding day of September 8 as World Physical Therapy Day. This day is now used to commemorate our global community of physical therapy professionals and raise awareness for the countless positive impacts this profession makes, from improving joint function and mobility to providing safe and effective chronic pain relief treatment.
Each year, World Physiotherapy aims to spotlight World PT Day with a unique theme and specific industry-related focus. The theme for World Physical Therapy Day 2023 centers around arthritis prevention and management and will provide a comprehensive look into different forms of this joint condition, including axial spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory arthritis.
As a physical therapist, significant value comes with celebrating World Physical Therapy Day. On behalf of patients, this day can be used to demonstrate just how important the role of a PT is for long-term physical health, comfort, and mobility in clients. With 2023’s arthritis focus, World Physical Therapy Day also serves as a patient education effort, when people affected (and not affected) by this debilitating condition can learn about treatment options and preventive measures.
In regards to your practice, the celebration of World Physical Therapy Day can also enhance your clinic’s overall reputation. From patient education and outreach to honoring the specialized work of your team members, partaking in World Physical Therapy Day shows patients just how devoted you are to effective PT care. Not to mention, celebrating also demonstrates your stance as a knowledge broker, which can capture the attention and respect of outside PT professionals and practices.
There are a wide variety of World PT Day activities physical therapy practices can use to capture the attention of patients and raise awareness around the importance of physical therapy. As we gear up for Physical Therapy Month in October, consider these five effective World PT Day ideas to celebrate how physical therapy can reduce pain, improve lives, and connect professionals in other countries.
One of the most cost-effective methods to educate patients on the benefits of PT this upcoming World Physical Therapy Day is webinars and workshops. With readily accessible video conference platforms, like Zoom and Google Meet, you enable anyone to tune in and learn more about physical therapy on September 8. Webinars are also excellent for facilitating question-and-answer sessions.
Likewise, you can host an in-person workshop for participants to interact with therapists one-on-one to gain hands-on knowledge. Using this year’s theme of arthritis as inspiration, a workshop could provide a breakdown of common arthritis conditions, such as osteoarthritis (OA). For example, you can explain the exact cause of OA or how to manage OA and other symptoms with real-time PT techniques to improve joint movement and reduce pain.
When it comes to raising awareness around any sort of topic, if your audience doesn’t come to you online, you can simply go to them in person. Fortunately, physical therapists work in various care settings that include many different patient types, making community outreach a lucrative opportunity to market your PT practice offline this upcoming World Physical Therapy Day.
From elder care facilities and rehabilitation centers to public schools and universities, there are many patient demographics that can help raise awareness of physical therapy’s health benefits and the significant role our experts play in society. As with in-person workshops, PTs can highlight the importance of arthritis prevention and the at-home prevention techniques patients can use.
Social media can be a highly effective way to connect with new patients while still supporting your existing long-term patient relationships. Outside your general day-to-day social media posts, take the time to develop content centered around the upcoming World Physical Therapy Day that highlights any special offerings, positive client feedback, and notable PT team accomplishments.
Across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, there is a variety of resources practices can use to develop World Physical Therapy Day social media campaigns. Live streams, image posts, reels, and polls are all key features that can increase your PT practice’s presence on social media and serve double-time to raise awareness for the PT field on September 8. Be sure to stay on theme and highlight pertinent topics related to arthritis care and prevention, like healthy stretches for knee OA.
Workshops aren’t the only way to spread the word on World PT Day. This September, take the time to discover any wellness events or health fairs that may be occurring in your local area, or even consider hosting your own. These events often bring in thousands of attendees interested in enhancing their knowledge of various health and wellness topics, including physical therapy. They’re also the perfect time to focus on team-building for physical therapy staff.
Through health-centric events, physical therapists can easily plug their World Physical Therapy Day celebrations by highlighting the meaning of this day and educating attendees on how PT plays such a crucial role in patient’s lives. PT professionals can also promote their services by offering a free screening or quick consultation that helps attendees understand their risk for physical disorders like arthritis and discuss new strategies to prevent and treat these concerns.
There’s no way of saying ‘Happy World Physical Therapy Day’ quite like a special promotion or exclusive discount. World Physical Therapy Day pricing or specials are excellent techniques to not only reward loyal patients who adhere to a plan of care but also to attract new patients who have yet to try your services—both of which are proven to increase patients in your PT clinic.
Considering this year’s theme, center your World Physical Therapy Day deals around arthritis education, prevention, and treatment. For instance, target patients with a previous joint injury with a discount for specific products or offer current arthritis patients a new patient referral promotion. Keep your promotions running all week long to help reduce pain in new and old patients alike.
When World Physiotherapy first commemorated World Physical Therapy Day back in 1996, there was no way of predicting just how far the global festivities would extend. Today, World PT Day marks the start of an international celebration, not just for the physical therapist profession but for the myriad of benefits this first-line treatment offers.
This World PT Day, do your part to adopt the above concepts and adapt the celebrations to your special community. With trusted patient engagement and marketing software, you can provide patients, family members, and the global PT community with an in-depth look at the key message of this designated day, including how fellow therapists can celebrate.
Schedule a free demo today to discover how simple it can be to spread the word about World PT Day.
