On “Reflections on the Wisdom of Profession-Specific Diagnostic Labels.” Jette AM. Phys Ther. 2021; 101:pzab139. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzab139

As members of the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy (ANPT) Movement System Task Force, we are writing to add our perspective to Sahrmann’s recent publication1 and Jette’s response2 regarding the need for physical therapists to develop and use defined diagnostic labels in practice. We are sharing why we believe the adoption of movement system diagnoses will be beneficial to physical therapist practice. We want to clear up the misconception that movement system diagnoses are profession-specific and discuss moving forward as a profession. A recent article in the New York Times3 describes an aspirational vision for the physical therapy profession, stating that our field “has struggled with a lack of uniformity and a lingering reputation for pseudoscience, leaving patients unsure whom to trust.” The article continues by saying that “over the last 15 years, leaders in the physical therapy field have worked to shed this reputation, improving standards and consistency. They’ve developed systems to diagnose and classify injuries and turned to scientific research to create evidence-backed treatment guidelines.” Unfortunately, we believe that our profession has not yet lived up to the expectations set forth in this article.