For the past 30 years, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has celebrated physical therapists and the transformative impact they have on the lives of their patients every October. During National Physical Therapy Month, 2022, APTA, along with physical therapists across the country, will come together to acknowledge physical therapists’ unique value as experts of movement and proponents of physical activity.
At Dosher Physical Therapy in Easley, SC, we understand the value of activity, as well as the costs of inadequate activity. Movement is key to our health and happiness.
Lack of physical activity adds an estimated $117 billion in health care costs in the U.S. and leads to a reduced quality of life for millions of Americans. As we emerge from a global pandemic, it’s critical that we encourage people to move. Movement and physical activity helps people manage their pain, deal with chronic health issues, quicken recovery from injuries, reduce the risk of future injury, and mitigate the risk of future injury and chronic illness.
As the President of APTA, Sharon L. Dunn (PT, PhD), explains: “This year has brought significant challenges to health care and the profession of physical therapy, but we are getting through them together. Now, more than ever, it’s important to share the value of keeping active and moving, and APTA offers inclusive ways for us to share with our communities the importance of physical activity to a healthy life.”
We couldn’t have put it better ourselves: physical activity is the key to a healthy life. Staying physically active even under the best circumstances can be a challenge. In our current situation, we need to remind ourselves of the importance of movement to our health and wellbeing.
Chris Junkins: Easley, SC Physical Therapist
When it comes to physical therapists in the South Carolina Upstate, you’d be hard-pressed to find one more dedicated to his profession than Dosher Physical Therapy’s own Chris Junkins.
At Dosher PT, we want to celebrate our dedicated family of physical therapists and acknowledge the important work they do in helping our patients live their lives to the fullest.
Chris Junkins, PTA, has been a partner at Dosher Physical Therapy for more than 20 years. He has been a leader, teacher, and activist, inspiring countless patients and fellow physical therapists to see movement for what it is—a critical component of our health.
With 40-plus years of experience as a physical therapist, Chris has witnessed a monumental change in the way people view physical therapy and its practitioners.
“When I began as a physical therapist in the early 1980s,” Junkins explains, “many viewed it as a treatment that was only necessary for those with acute injuries. Nowadays, people have, for the most part, come around to the idea that movement and physical activity is useful for a number of reasons: it prevents injury, it is the best drug-free treatment for chronic pain that I know, and it helps people become their best selves.”
For 25 years, Chris Junkins served on the South Carolina Board of Physical Therapists, helping to ensure that South Carolinians receive the best care possible. Additionally, Chris has served on the national level as well—as a delegate from South Carolina for 15 years for the American Physical Therapy Association. He has been a consistent advocate in Washington for the benefits of physical therapy and for transforming the American healthcare system.
As a teacher at Greenville Tech, Junkins has trained countless students on best practices in physical therapy, emerging trends in the field, and how to help those in need of physical therapy services.
In 2007, Chris received the Physical Therapy Assistant of the Year Award by APTA for his exceptional leadership in the field and dedication to physical therapy as a profession. As if that wasn’t enough, back in 2001, the South Carolina Chapter of APTA created a special award named after the man himself.
The “Chris Junkins Clinical Excellence Award” is handed out each year by South Carolina APTA to physical therapists like Chris who show exceeding devotion and excellence in the field of physical therapy.
This October, as we honor physical therapists from around the United States, we thought it only fitting to call out Chris Junkins. We’re extremely proud to have him as a partner at Dosher Physical Therapy in Easley, SC, and delighted to call him a colleague and friend.
