Enhancing Your Physical Therapy Business with Nutrition

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

Physical Therapists (PTs) can easily add nutrition to their practice. Doing so can improve patient outcomes, provide a “stand-out” service versus other local providers, and offer an increase in revenue. Incorporating nutrition into physical therapy practice is recognized in the “scope” of PTs by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and makes good business sense. Several of our other blog posts highlight the why and how PTs should offer nutrition and what the APTA and practice acts say about PTs offering nutrition, but this article is going to focus solely on the business side of PTs providing nutrition.

Adding nutrition services to PTs running cash-based practices is a must. The biggest standout item within cash-based PT practices is that the client pays, not insurance. As such, you as the provider only have to justify...

As physical therapists (PTs), we are far removed from the delivery room. Many of us help women after delivery through relieving post-delivery trauma, core strengthening, or general wellness to return to pre-pregnancy function/fitness status. Many of us also help women struggling with lower back pain, plantar fasciitis, and other ailments prior to delivery. A few of us also work in the neonatal intensive care and hospitals helping newborn children.  We also have large section of our professional organization, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), dedicated to helping children through pediatric PT. As such, we as PTs are nicely positioned to help counsel women and families on how to optimize delivery, recovery, and possibly infant and children's nutrition.

In The Womb

Many ailments and complications can arise during pregnancy. From lower back pain and posture issues, the musculoskeletal issues appear to be very straight forward for PT management. But...

Most physical therapists (PTs) routinely measure the vital signs. Heart rate, blood pressure, pulse oxygen, respiration rate, and often pain. But what about diet? Should diet be another vital sign? In the opinion of many scientists and medical experts diet ought to be a major vital sign that is measured by not only registered dietitians (RDs) and/or medical doctors (MDs), but also healthcare providers like PTs, on a routine basis.

What evidence do we have to say that diet ought to a basic vital sign? How about the fact that diet is the single leading predictor variable of all major health outcomes? The vast majority, roughly 80% according to the literature, of our diseases in the modern world are preventable and are caused by a poor diet. From cardiac disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke, the injuries and diseases that lead to a patient ending up in a physical therapy clinic are likely preventable, if not reversible. 

But how does a PT measure diet as a vital sign? Many PTs...

It’s not often our team at Nutritional Physical Therapy gets excited about movies; however, a recent movie has got the whole team excited: The Game Changers.

The Game Changers will change the sports, physical therapy (PT), athletic training, and strength and conditioning world. James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan are the producers, along with the elite athletes of Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic, and Chris Paul helping out.  The movie has been currently endorsed by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA), the Defense Health Agency (DHA), and the Green Sports Alliance. Hopefully with enough momentum we can see the likes of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) join the endorsement ranks.

The movie features James Wilk, special operator trainer and UFC fighter, on a mission to share...

Top 3 Nutrition Tips for Neuro PTs

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

Physical therapists (PTs) are unique, doctorally-prepared health care providers who work often one-on-one with their clients several times per week. As direct access and primary care providers, PTs can help patients get better functionally and holistically through exercise and dietary interventions. Whether you are a PT working in a hospital or fitness gym, you will encounter patients that have neurological deficits. While most PTs have the go-to physical interventions many struggle to conjure up ways to help these patients with nutritional tips. Below our team at Nutritional Physical Therapy will outline how PTs can offer nutritional tips to patients with neurological deficits.

#1 Reduce Alcohol

Having an ice-cold beer or a glass of wine may be a great way to end a hectic day; however, research has shown that those that have neurological issues may be best to steer clear of...

Can PTs Give Nutrition Advice? 

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

Over the past decade physical therapists (PTs) have been branding themselves as “movement specialists” and “experts in exercise.” Much of this branding has come from the help of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), as well as the advancement of the entry-level PT degree from Masters to Doctorate (DPT). With a new image and education, PTs are even better positioned to be in primary care, prevention, wellness, and many other settings other than simple outpatient clinics and hospitals. Despite such a push for new branding and education, a burning questions still exists within the physical therapy profession: can PTs give nutrition advice?

What the Profession Says

Such was the topic during the Oxford Debate at last year’s (2018) APTA Next Conference in Orlando, FL. I was fortunate enough to be in the crowd and enjoy some...

Top 3 Nutrition Tips PTs can Give their Clients

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

Physical therapists (PTs) are unique healthcare providers that are positioned to have a major impact on the healthcare systems. PTs are now doctorally prepared, trained in differential diagnoses and imaging, and work with clients directly from the street (e.g. direct access). More importantly PTs often see clients sometimes daily or at least several times per week, depending on the client issue and clinical setting. As such, PTs can be utilized as a major agent of change for health and wellness, and one of the ways they can do this is through nutrition!

One major barrier, as we have highlighted in other articles, for PTs to offer nutrition advice is their education. Another limitations for many PTs is time. A PT may ask: how can I juggle all of these clinical pieces, notes, and still talk about nutrition with my clients? Well, our team at Nutritional Physical...

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

I know, I said it. And you are wondering why in the heck a physical therapist, personal trainer, and strength coach would ever say such a thing?!

A few years ago a group of researchers published a wonderful editorial piece in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Titled It is time to bust the myth of physical inactivity and obesity: you cannot outrun a bad diet, the article stirred the pot and highlighted important data on weight loss.

The literature highlighted how many sports medicine, physio, and personal training professional are biased to exercise as the main mode for weight loss. Furthermore, the authors came out and boldly stated that physical activity does not promote weight loss. That's right, physical activity does not promote weight loss.

If these researchers are right, then why is the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) hanging their professional "hat" on PTs...