The Active Future for the Passive Therapist

SYNOPSIS: In this Viewpoint, I argue that we may be at an inflection point in the course of the physical therapy profession. The current debate over active and passive therapies highlights once again how much physical therapy practices reflect shifting cultural and social attitudes. Calls for less passive management of musculoskeletal conditions and more self-management reflect the neoliberal desire for autonomous, entrepreneurial, endlessly resilient, and self-sufficient subjects who will shift the burden of health care from the state to the individual. Such shifts in practice have important implications for therapists and clients alike, and practitioners should give careful thought to what is going on at a deeper societal level when they contemplate profound changes in practice.

Automated summary

The physical therapy profession is at a turning point, with the debate between active and passive therapies reflecting shifting cultural attitudes. The shift towards more self-management has implications for both therapists and clients, emphasizing the need to carefully consider societal changes in practice.