Best Nutrition Guide for PTs

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, CNPT, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Cert-DN

Physical therapists (PTs) are direct care providers who help people across many settings and with various pathologies and functional losses. From cardiac issues, metabolic dysfunction, cancer, neurological deficits, and musculoskeletal disorders, PTs can help a variety of patients get stronger, move with more confidence, and feel better. One key tool that can help with PT's treatments is nutrition.

Nutrition is in the scope of practice of Doctors of PT (DPTs), according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Nutrition is linked with inflammation, recovery, pain, psychological well being, and quality of life. Plus, most of our clients are taking supplements or simply want to get better, faster with any approach possible -- as such, PTs need more quality dietary info.

One of the best evidenced-based resources for nutrition is Examine.com. Examine offers copious research, great summaries, and even plain-language explanation for patients. The website offers a very useful supplement guide section, which will help many PTs navigate those awkward questions patients have (like does glucosamine help my knees arthritis?). DPTs can also search specific diseases or diagnoses to pull up current nutrition and supplement guides, based on solid peer-reviewed evidence. 

Check them out today: https://examine.com/ We receive no funding or reimburse for clicks or memberships -- we simply are recommending this site based on their quality and presentation of data. 

If you like what you see here then know there is more in our 3 board-approved continuing education courses on Nutrition specific for Physical Therapists. Enroll today in our new bundled course offering and save 20%, a value of $60! 

Download Your Copy of the Free E-Book:

Learn about the Top 5 Functional Foods to Fight Inflammation and Pain in Physical Therapy. 

Keywords: nutrition, diet, continuing education, online, weight loss, health, PT, physical therapy, learning, supplement, resources, prevention, DPT

Photo Credit: Photo by Andres Ayrton: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-showing-apple-and-bitten-doughnut-6551415/

Disclaimer: The above article is written as an opinion piece and does not convey specific legal, medical, and/or practice act advice.