AI Tools Physical Therapists Are Actually Using Right Now

By Joel Comm | A Trusted Voice in a Noisy Tech World

As a New York Times bestselling author who has spoken at events across four decades in technology, I’ve watched countless industries navigate the Disruption Confidence Cycle when new technologies emerge. Physical therapy is no exception. Right now, we’re seeing therapists move beyond skepticism to strategic adoption of AI tools that actually enhance patient care. The shift isn’t theoretical anymore.

PTs are drowning in documentation and staying late every night. These AI tools are the ones actually saving real therapists real time — no vendor pitch required.

The Tools That Are Actually Working

Forget the press releases and product launches. The AI tools worth talking about are the ones Physical Therapy Professionals are quietly using to get more done in less time.

Here are the use cases that matter:

AI-drafted discharge summaries from treatment history and outcome data, ready for physician review
AI-generated daily treatment notes from brief voice or text input after each session
AI-customized home exercise programs with patient-appropriate language and clear instructions
AI-assisted insurance justification letters that compile progress data into persuasive clinical narratives

Why Most Physical Therapy Professionals Haven't Started Yet

It's not because they're behind. It's because the noise-to-signal ratio in AI is terrible right now. Every vendor promises transformation. Most deliver a chatbot.

The professionals who are getting results started small. They picked one workflow that was eating their time, found a tool that handled it, and moved on to the next one. No strategy deck. No committee. Just one problem, one tool, one result.

What to Try First

If you're in Physical Therapy and haven't started with AI yet, pick the task you hate most. The one that's repetitive, time-consuming, and doesn't actually require your expertise. That's where AI earns its keep.

The tools are simpler than you think. The barrier isn't technology — it's the assumption that you need to understand the technology before you can use it. You don't.

The Bigger Picture

Physical therapists became PTs to help people recover and move better. Instead, they're buried in discharge summaries, daily notes, and insurance justifications. AI can handle the documentation grind, but most PTs don't know which tools are safe, effective, or worth the time to learn.

The professionals who figure out AI first don't just save time. They change what their time is worth. That's the pattern Joel covers in his AI Tools keynote — finding the tools that actually move the needle for your team.