What Is ChoosePT and How Does It Help the Public Learn About Physical Therapy?

Updated

ChoosePT is the American Physical Therapy Association's public-facing website, designed to educate consumers—not clinicians—about what physical therapy is and how it can help them. If you're a member of the public trying to understand whether physical therapy is right for you, or an APTA member looking to point patients toward reliable information, ChoosePT is the resource APTA directs you to. It sits alongside APTA.org's other public tool, the "Find a Physical Therapist" directory, but serves a different purpose: ChoosePT explains the profession, while the directory helps you locate a provider.

How ChoosePT differs from APTA.org

APTA.org is built primarily for the profession—physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students. Its homepage emphasizes membership, career advancement, continuing education, specialist certification, advocacy, and association events. ChoosePT is the consumer-facing counterpart, and APTA describes it plainly: it "educates the public about the benefits of physical therapy."

Dimension APTA.org ChoosePT
Primary audience PTs, PTAs, students, and the profession Patients and the general public
Main purpose Membership, career development, advocacy, news Public education about physical therapy benefits
Example content Continuing education, specialist certification, APTA CSM, honors and awards What physical therapy is and how it helps
How you use it Join or renew, register for events, access literature Learn about PT, then find a provider

The distinction matters because the two sites answer different questions. APTA.org answers "How do I advance my career in physical therapy?" ChoosePT answers "Should I consider physical therapy, and what should I expect?"

What the public can do with ChoosePT

APTA positions ChoosePT as the starting point for consumer education. From there, the natural next step for someone ready to act is APTA's "Find a Physical Therapist" directory, which APTA says "provides access to PTs nationwide." In practice, that means a member of the public can:

  1. Learn the basics on ChoosePT—what physical therapy involves and the benefits APTA highlights for the public.
  2. Search for a provider through the nationwide directory linked from APTA.org.
  3. Verify or update a listing if you're a PT—the directory page includes an "Update Your Profile" option for practitioners.

A useful way to think about it: if a friend asks "Is physical therapy worth trying for my back pain?", send them to ChoosePT. If they ask "Who can I see near me?", send them to the directory.

How APTA members can help spread the word

APTA explicitly invites members to promote ChoosePT—the site pairs "Visit ChoosePT.com" with "Help Spread the Word." For a practicing PT, that can mean:

  • Pointing patients to ChoosePT for plain-language explanations they can read after a visit.
  • Sharing the site with community groups, athletic organizations, or workplaces as a general education resource.
  • Using it as a first touchpoint before directing someone to the provider directory.

The logic is straightforward: APTA's stated mission is to "improve the health of society" by advancing the profession, and public education through ChoosePT is one of the channels it uses to do that.

What to keep in mind

ChoosePT is an educational and referral resource, not a clinical service—it doesn't diagnose or recommend treatment for an individual. For personal health decisions, the appropriate step is an evaluation by a licensed physical therapist found through the directory. And if you're a professional rather than a patient, ChoosePT is unlikely to be what you need; APTA.org's membership, payment, and continuing education sections are the relevant destinations.