What if Clark Kent could only work at the Daily Planet? What if Bruce Wayne could only work at Wayne Enterprises?

The commonality between these fictional superheroes is that they don't stay where they're expected to be; they are active in their communities. To activate our true powers as physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, we must brave the communities in which we live. We are not bound to the day jobs we hold. We are called to help our communities in prevention and wellness to better the lives of society and effect sustainable change.

Likening physical therapists and physical therapist assistants to superheroes might be a bit of an overstatement, but hear me out.

Our expertise of how the body functions as it relates to the environment around it. As movement experts, we hold the keys to combating harmful compensatory strategies, frequent falls, and attitudes and beliefs about movement that can perpetuate persistent pain. It can feel daunting to take on such a big role within our communities, but I'm here to assure you that even the smallest of contributions can make a big impact on the health of society. If we start somewhere, assisting even a small part of a community, we can have a powerful impact on disease prevention, decreased health care costs, and positive health outcomes of populations.

Here's why: