When Paul Tadak, PT, DPT, moved to Columbus, Ohio, he had been helping patients with low back pain. He wanted to branch out, but he didn't know of a group he could join or other clinicians with whom he could connect. After doing some research, Tadak—a clinician and codirector of The Ohio State University's Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Program and a board-certified specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy—discovered that there weren't any groups for PTs and other rehabilitation professionals in the central Ohio area.

So, he started his own.

"Physical therapists often become isolated within their own clinics, so, while they may share knowledge and skills, it's only with the people with whom they work," Tadak notes. "So, you don't learn about other PTs who are doing outstanding work and the ideas that are coming up in their practices. A lot of PTs have talents and skills that they could share, but they aren't meeting with other PTs at large. I wanted to change that."

Thus, Tadak started the Columbus Manual Therapy Group in 2015. He recently changed the name to the Columbus Orthopedic Therapy Group, because as it began to grow he determined that the name was unduly limiting. Participants were addressing not only manual therapy but also examination techniques, exercises, and specialty areas such as women's health.

"My goal was to get people together to share ideas and manual techniques, as well as the latest research," he says. "But I also wanted people to network, and address advocacy and what we can do to help APTA."