The NATA Web site says that “APTA agrees with NATA that athletic trainers are qualified to perform these services [i.e., manual therapy].” Is this statement true?
No. The Joint Statement says only that athletic trainers’ education calls for competence in SOME FORMS of manual therapy and that some athletic trainers are qualified to perform CERTAIN FORMS of manual therapy. Here, and in other places, NATA’s press release mischaracterizes what the Joint Statement actually says. We urge APTA members and the public to rely on the actual language in the Joint Statement, which was extensively discussed and negotiated, rather than on NATA’s press release.
