Episode 2

Conversation with Dr. Chris Powers, a renowned physical therapist, professor at University of Southern California, biomechanics researcher, and current president of California Physical Therapy Association.

You can find Dr. Chris Powers at:
www.movementpi.com
For his dates coming to Teikyo University’s MPI, schedule has not been decided yet, but this information will be updated as soon as I find out!

Chris’s current interests / researches:
Patellar tendinopathy
Femoral-acetabular impingement
Strength vs motor control issues of the lower extremities

As CPTA president:
Initiate a public awareness campaign about physical therapists. Hence the tagline “Physical Therapists Improve the Way You Move.”
Identity is a continued issue nation-wide for physical therapists.
State issue: payment by insurance companies. California is an expensive state to practice in. Difficult to deliver great care when physical therapists are not getting paid appropriately.
Against big insurance companies, individual PT’s are powerless. Must work as a professional organization, and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to tackle the issue of reimbursement and payment.
Chris Powers recommends physical therapists become members of the American Physical Therapy Association (and of course, your residing state chapter). Only 28% of physical therapists in California are members of APTA.

5 people he is most influenced by:
Jacquelin Perry, MD, the leader in gait analysis.
Helen Hislop, leader in PT profession
James Gordon, PT, FAPTA
Carolee Winstein, PhD, PT, FAPTA
Shirley Sahmrann, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Ideal qualities for physical therapists:
Compassion, good clinical decision-making, ability to evaluate movement

Beginning and evolution of Movement Performance Institute
Wanted to bring research tools into the clinic to find better objective measurements, and take the practice to a scientific level. Tools at MPI include force plates, high definition cameras, EMG’s, motion analysis.
Chris is a huge proponent of technology-inclusive clinical practice.
Marker-less technology for 3D motion analysis is right around the corner!
We must quantify what we visually observe, and that’s why he recommends incorporating technology in the clinic.

MPI Tokyo is possibly BETTER than MPI Los Angeles!
10,000 square feet, with more equipment.
Chris met a team of sports / orthopedic group from Japan (surgeon, PT, athletic trainer), who visited his clinical lab at MPI by the airport, 3 years ago. They developed a plan to launch MPI Tokyo with much communications and planning.
While in Japan, Chris enjoyed sushi and shabu shabu.
Chris plans on visiting Tokyo a couple of times a year to teach, with targeted audience first being the orthopedic surgeons in Japan.

How he manages his time:
He is hyper-organized. His entire year is booked. Everything is placed on paper calendar.

Next 10-20 years PT vision:
Coming up 100 years anniversary in 2021. He hopes we are recognized in evaluation / treatments of movement dysfunction and better-refined role. Better users of technology in the clinic.

Chris’s definition of success:
It’s on an individual level. Set personal goals and set out to achieve those goals regardless of what others think. It doesn’t have to be measured against anyone else.

His morning routine:
Chris exercises every morning before work. He goes to the gym and performs weight lifting. He also enjoys mountain biking, road biking, surfing, paddle boarding, and kayaking. Problem-solving comes while he is bike riding or exercising.

Advice to his 30-year old self:
He went back to PhD program at age 29. It’s never too late to make a change. You have to set yourself to be happy to be in the profession for decades. Going back to his definition of success: what do you want to do? What are your goals? It’s not too late. Be open to making changes because things happen.

свернуть