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The scope of practice for physical therapists is dynamic, evolving with evidence, education, and societal needs.
The scope of practice for physical therapists has three components: professional, jurisdictional, and personal.
The professional scope of practice is grounded in the profession’s unique body of knowledge, supported by educational preparation, based on a body of evidence, and linked to existing or emerging practice frameworks.
The jurisdictional (i.e., legal) scope of practice is established by a state's practice act governing the specific physical therapist’s license, and the rules adopted pursuant to that act. The Model Practice Act for Physical Therapy (MPA) is the preeminent standard and most effective tool at the state level for revising and modernizing physical therapy practice acts via legislation.
Personal scope of practice consists of activities for which an individual physical therapist is educated and trained and their competence to perform.
Recommended Content
Feb 9, 2023 / Website
The Guide is the description of physical therapist practice for use by PT and PTA educators, students, and clinicians.
Sep 13, 2017 / Policies & Bylaws
House position: An individual physical therapist’s scope of practice is influenced by professional, jurisdictional, and personal scopes of practice.
Additional Scope of Practice Content
Apr 12, 2023 / News
The physical therapy profession has evolved, and so has its foundational resource.
Mar 1, 2023 / Roundup
It's looking like a busy year for state legislatures, with the potential for some good news for the profession. Now's your chance to help.
Feb 21, 2020 /
APTA’s live #XchangeSA chat with Alan Lee, PT, DPT, PhD on telehealth and telerehab.
Jan 13, 2020 /
Sharna Prasad, PT, DPT, discusses how self-reflection makes a path clear.
Jan 8, 2020 /
For the physical therapy profession to thrive, it needs clinicians with grit. Physical therapist Fred Gilbert urges the next generation to think outside of the box and outside of the clinic.
Oct 1, 2019 / Feature
PTs and PTAs have much to offer patients and health care teams before, during, and after disasters. Part of the challenge, however, is educating other providers about those benefits.
Aug 23, 2019 /
Physical therapist Jaclyn Marie Arrow, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy, discusses her session, He Said, She Said: How Personality and Communication Can Improve Patient Education.
Jul 19, 2019 /
Jaclyn Marie Arrow, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy, discusses her session “He Said, She Said: How Personality and Communication Can Improve Patient Education” at APTA’s NEXT 2019 in Chicago.
Feb 25, 2019 /
Paul Caudillo, PT, DPT, is a veteran who finds that his rallying motto still resonates.