Americans continue to be prescribed and to misuse opioids at alarming rates. This October, APTA will carry on raising awareness of physical therapy as a safe and effective alternative to opioids for treatment of chronic pain conditions via its award-winning #ChoosePT campaign.

You can learn about #ChoosePT and find ways to support APTA's efforts locally by visiting the online campaign tool kit.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

• Follow @MoveForwardPT on Twitter and Facebook, and "like" and share our #ChoosePT posts and graphics.
• Share the public service announcements "Treating Pain Takes Teamwork" and "Choose Physical Therapy for Safe Pain Management" on your website and social media pages.
• Offer to assist APTA's public and media relations staff with placing the TV and radio public service announcement in your community. Contact [email protected] for step-by-step instructions.
• Download and distribute the Patient Pain Profile at your facility or community events.
• Host a session for other health care providers to learn about a physical therapist's role in pain management.
• Advocate for the valuable role of physical therapy in improving patient outcomes and combatting the existing opioid crisis. Access APTA's white paper, "Beyond Opioids: How Physical Therapy Can Transform Pain Management to Improve Health."
• Present to the public, payers, and other health care professionals about a physical therapist's and physical therapist assistant's role in pain management. Access "The Opioid Epidemic: What PTs and PTAs Need to Know" document.
• Take #ChoosePT on the road by wearing a #ChoosePT shirt or holding a #ChoosePT sign (available in the toolkit) and take a photo of you showing your #ChoosePT pride. This could be at a landmark, park, mountaintop, and anywhere in between. Post them to social media using the #ChoosePT hashtag or email them to us at [email protected]. We'll share our favorites throughout October.

2018 PT Day of Service

Consider celebrating NPTM by participating in the 2018 PT Day of Service that takes place on Saturday, October 13. APTA is a proud partner of PT Day of Service, a global event founded by physical therapists in 2015. Whether you are hosting an NPTM event, volunteering at a pro bono clinic, or serving the community by cleaning up a park, you’ll be joining with PTs, PTAs, and students of physical therapy across the world who are actively making a difference in their communities on or around that day.