For the second year in a row, the John H.P. Maley Lecture was all about the movement system.
Nancy Bloom, PT, DPT, MSOT, gave the 2025 lecture with the goal of educating the audience about the progress and challenges surrounding movement and diagnosis, as well as encouraging PTs to embrace their role as doctors of physical therapy and movement system experts.
"I believe the movement system provides us with a solid foundation for optimizing movement," Bloom said. "Movement is what we see – it is our professional lens."
Titled "Let's Do It! Fully Embrace Movement as Our Identity," Bloom presented the lecture on July 13 as part of APTA Leadership Congress in Washington, D.C. A recording of the lecture is available on APTA's YouTube channel.
Bloom is professor emerita in the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She is a member of the board of directors for APTA Orthopedics and previously chaired the academy's Education Committee.
Progress and Challenges on the Road to Implementation
Bloom shared a brief history of APTA's role related to the development of the movement system. In 2013, the APTA House of Delegates adopted a guiding principle that states, "Recognition and validation of the movement system is essential to understand the structure, function, and potential of the human body." An APTA Board of Directors work group was assembled to define "movement system."
In 2019, the House amended the association's guiding principles to include this definition: "The movement system is the integration of body systems that generate and maintain movement at all levels of bodily function. Human movement is a complex behavior within a specific context, and is influenced by social, environmental, and personal factors."
The general definition is meant to broadly describe the concept and function of the movement system, Bloom said. Having a broad definition is beneficial, she said, because it allows for providers in various areas of practice to understand and manage movement.
For example, knowledge of the movement system provides PTs with the ability to not only explain the biomechanics and other factors influencing suboptimal movement, but to provide an appropriate treatment plan.
"A broad definition also covers our role in guiding individuals on the amount of movement or activity," she said. "Some people need to move more and some need to move less. We have the knowledge to prescribe the right dose."
During this period of development, APTA also developed a movement screen and incorporated it into the Annual Physical Therapy Visit forms and the movement system was added to APTA's Guide to Physical Therapist Practice.
Starting in 2020, the APTA Scientific and Practice Affairs Committee turned the reins over to APTA's academies and sections to define and study diagnostic categories relevant to their specific specialty.
The Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy has established a Movement System Committee to "build the foundational elements required in practice, education, and research, and to fully realize our professional identity as movement system experts and diagnosticians," according to the committee's website. APTA Pediatrics has a fact sheet on the movement system and APTA Pelvic Health offers a couple of continuing education courses on the topic.
However, this progress is not enough to move the whole profession forward, Bloom said. Now it's time to expand the movement system timeline beyond 2020, she said.
Embracing the DPT Identity
Another step in implementing the movement system is developing a set of criteria that identifies a movement system practitioner, Bloom said.
"While many people can observe deviations in movements ... the PT understands the movement system and can explain the biomechanics and the contributing factors to those impairments. We need to be recognized for this knowledge."
That step ties back into PT education and intertwining movement specifically into curricula.
"Movement becomes a guiding principle for determining content, and I believe reduces the risk of teaching and learning in silos," Bloom said.
One small change toward that goal is changing how PTs introduce themselves, not just to patients but to other providers, policymakers, or insurers.
"To help reduce anxiety and increase comfort you could simply say: 'Hello, my name is Dr. Nancy Bloom. Please call me Nancy if you'd like.' First impressions are important."
She is concerned that PTs are not using the title "doctor" in our communication and missing an opportunity to be recognized for our expertise in the movement system.
"Please introduce yourself with pride as a doctor of physical therapy, because it is your expertise in movement that makes you invaluable to your patients and society," Bloom said.
