When I heard that President-elect Joe Biden had fractured his foot playing with his dogs, my first thought was that he’d need physical therapy. My next thought was wondering if any physical therapists would be quoted discussing his injury in the media.
Luckily, I got to be one such PT for AARP!
I saw a query from a reporter asking for MD’s to discuss the treatment and prevention of foot and ankle injuries in older adults. I responded that while doctors diagnose such injuries, they don’t typically treat them. Instead, physical therapists such as myself do!
Luckily, the reporter responded that he was interested in speaking with me, and scheduled an interview for that night. We had a nice chat, including a discussion of our own histories with ankle sprains, and I shared my opinion that this type of injury is often underestimated.
As a former journalist, I enjoyed getting to provide information for a story relevant to current events. My only disappointment is that the article discourages adults from engaging in high impact exercise, when that is actually something they need to maintain bone strength. But such is the risk that comes with providing expert quotes — besides my contributions, I often have no idea what the rest of the article will include.
In the end, it was a great experience, and I’m glad to see a dog-owner returning to the White House!