What is lifestyle medicine? Why do physical therapists need to know about it?

First, let’s start with a definition. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM), founded in 2004, defines lifestyle medicine as:

“Lifestyle medicine is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches including:

As physical therapists, we are unlikely to affect how physicians use advanced imaging with their patients. In my practice, patients have typically already undergone an MRI by the time they walk through my door. They typically enter the clinic fearful about a new diagnosis and worried their condition will devolve into a lifetime of pain and disability, as every patient knows someone who has dealt with debilitating back pain. Physical therapists can play an important role in contextualizing imaging findings for patients to help ease their anxiety and avoid iatrogenic pain. 

My dual identity–I’m the “provider” in the provider-patient relationship while I’m at work, but I’m the “queer patient” to my own healthcare providers–allows me to be included as an insider in both sides of the conversation. I often hear gender and sexual minority groups discussing the ways they continue to feel excluded in all sorts of settings, and I hear providers talking about how much they want to help LGBTQ folks feel included, but feel they don’t have the tools. I’m here to tell you: we can all acquire the tools to take great care of our queer patients through education and listening.

How many providers do patients see to treat their knee pain? One? Three? Maybe their GP, an orthopedic surgeon and a physical therapist. Patients often seek treatment from many more than three providers when they have orofacial pain.