Getting Personal: Why I Do What I Do as a Physical Therapist (Part 5)

Question 5.

What’s one myth or piece of bad advice you wish you could erase from the fitness or rehab world?

Honestly, there are so many, I don’t even know where to start. But if I had to pick one, I think the biggest one is just around what people think physical therapy is.

There’s a lot of bad or outdated information about what we do. Some people think PT is just for helping people walk in the hospital. Others think of it as low-level rehab exercises with a light resistance band and not much else. The most annoying is when people assume all we do is massage. Massage therapy is an entirely separate profession and only a small part of physical therapy. It’s not the whole scope of physical therapy, and it’s definitely not what I specialize in.

The reality is that PT has evolved a lot, even just in the past 10 or 20 years. But public perception hasn’t really caught up. What I wish more people understood is that physical therapy isn’t just about treating injuries or helping older people. It’s about helping people get back to doing the things they care about. Whether that’s playing a sport, lifting weights, going for hikes, chasing their kids around, or even just feeling confident in their body again.

Surgery, for example, can fix a tissue problem, like putting a torn tendon back together, but it doesn’t retrain the body to move the way it did before the tendon tore. It doesn’t rebuild strength or restore function. That’s where PT comes in; it helps bridge the gap between healing and actually living your life again.

I’ve even had conversations with people who didn’t think PT could help them because, for example, their tendon had ruptured and “PT isn’t going to reattach it.” And they’re right, it won’t magically reattach the tendon. But it will help you move with less pain while strengthen everything around the injury, and in some cases, help you avoid surgery altogether. Or, at the very least, prepare you for surgery and lead to a smoother recovery.

That’s the piece I wish more people understood. Physical therapy isn’t just knowing a bunch of exercises. It’s about helping you be able to physically live your life the way you want.

Concluding thoughts

If there’s one thing I hope you take from this series, it’s that physical therapy isn’t just rehab. It’s a tool to help you move better, live stronger, and stay connected to the things that matter most.

There’s more to PT than most people realize, and if your only experience has been with band exercises or a few massages, I want you to know that there’s better care out there.

My work is about helping people return to the life they want to live, whether that’s sport, parenthood, work, or simply moving through your day with less pain and more confidence.

PT shouldn’t be a last resort. It should be part of your plan from the beginning. And if you’ve been looking for a physical therapist that actually supports you, I’m here to help.

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Dr. Kelsey Changsing, PT, DPT