This is a great blog from Ryan Klepps PT, DPT – TheraVid LLC.
13 Physical Therapy Blogs You Should Be Reading
Therapydia’s recent 2013 Physical Therapy Blog Awards made me realize how tight knit, knowledgeable, and insightful the PT social media community is. As the profession continues to grow, and as more PTs take the social media plunge, we need to be able to effectively point them in the right direction. It will become increasingly important for those already involved in the community to promote each other, and to make sure that quality content is easy to find. Being a relatively new member of the community myself, I found it both time consuming and difficult to find the quality content and innovative voices that I craved. So, to save the next curious PT the time and energy, I’ve compiled a list of 13 PT blogs that I have found to be unique, useful, and forward thinking. This list is not ranked in any particular order, and isn’t comprehensive. I’m sure I missed some great content, so please feel free to add blogs (and yell at me if you want) in the comments:
13. BodyinMind
So after focusing my intro solely on PTs, I’ll throw a curve ball and start the list with a blog that isn’t specifically targeted to PT. Body in Mind is a group of Australian clinician/scientists exploring chronic pain as it relates to the body, brain, and mind. Based out of Adelaide (sorry, couldn’t resist linking to this song), Body In Mind focuses on providing evidence-based research & analysis on the issues encountered in every orthopedic clinic.
12. MikeReinold.com
Winner of Therapydia’s coveted Best Overall Blog for 2013, which should be enough to make you click on the link and check it out. Seriously, stop reading this description and just click the link.
What really stands out to me about this blog is its interactivity with its viewers. Whether it be Q&A sessions, or incorporating authors from some of the other blogs on this list, The Manual Therapist has a way of conveying a sense of community that isn’t easy to cultivate.
10. Physical Therapy Diagnosis
You’ll notice a theme as you go through this list: the authors of these blogs care deeply about our profession. Tim Richardson is no exception, as evidenced by the header on the blog, “Physical therapy is not a subspecialty of the medical profession and physical therapists are not medical doctors; we are a separate profession that provides a unique service that physicians are unable and untrained to provide.”
A blog that is forward thinking, with a nice mix of serious & lighthearted topics, and written by someone with extensive clinical experience and an obvious passion for the profession. Here is one of my favorite posts of his.
Another blog focused on EBP and advocacy They do a great job incorporating video into their posts, which I love. After you’ve gone through their blog, be sure to check out the rest of the site; they have really valuable resources including a list of clinical prediction rules and analysis of commonly utilized orthopedic special tests (including sensitivity and specificity of each test!)
Here’s a great blog for the private practice owners out there, specifically those operating or considering operating a cash-based clinic. The blog is both a ‘How To’ for starting a PT clinic as well as a place for general musings and industry analysis.
If I’m being honest, this is the only blog on the list that isn’t in my “PT Blog Bookmark Folder”. The reason it’s not in the folder is because it has its own place on my bookmark toolbar. It was one of the first places I stumbled upon when I first found the online PT community, and their messages immediately resonated with me. Plus, us Quinnipiac grads need to stick together. If you are just entering the social media scene, their PT Hashtag Project is required reading.
Penned by Harrison Vaughan, DPT out of Virginia. This blog is rich with content, and its tagline explains it much better than I ever could: “Physical Therapy Blog on Evidenced-Informed Orthopedics, Manual Therapy and Knowledge Translation from Academia to Clinical Practice”.
EIM is well known throughout rehabilitation for its focus on education and advocacy, and their blog doesn’t disappoint. I hope that over time I can find a way to convey my passion for the profession with only half the force, clarity, and effectiveness of these guys. If you want to know where the profession is going, what you should be doing, or just want to get pumped up reading about physical therapy (which I wasn’t sure was possible a year ago), head over and dive in.
3. WebPT Blog
Wait, doesn’t WebPT also have an HEP Tool? GASP! Get them off the list!
Seriously, I’ve got to give credit where it’s due: WebPT provides great content. If you are struggling to figure out what the heck PQRS is, or what Medicare is going to do next, this is a great place to start.
2. PranaPT Blog
I was thinking about combining this with WebPT into one, because Ann Wendel contributes to both, but in the end I decided they should be separated. Another solid resource if Medicare leaves you scratching your head, and also a place to catch up on what’s happening in the profession and why it matters.
1. PT Talker
A blog that’s focused on advocating for both the profession as a whole, as well as for the individual experts within our field. It is a catch-all type of blog, with a wide breadth of information. Some of the posts are available in MP3, which is handy when you’re on the go.
—————————————————————————
I want to stress that these are not the 13 best PT blogs available. Instead, they are 13 PT blogs that I have come across that provide relevant, consistent, and high-quality content. I may very well have missed a few gems, so please add them in the comments!
Ryan Klepps PT, DPT – TheraVid LLC.
F3 Physical Therapy 