So, you survived Black Friday — and maybe even scored a sweet deal or two — but you've still got quite a few names left on your holiday shopping list. If one of them happens to be a physical therapist (or if you're a PT looking for a cool gift to give to yourself) and you’re racking your brain for gift ideas, then you're in luck.
Here are the top 10 gift ideas for physical therapists. Sorry, you'll have to handle shopping for Great Aunt Miriam on your own.
1. An iTunes gift card. Is your therapist's iPad pretty much glued to his or her hand? Hook 'em up with some iTunes purchasing power to load up that tablet with all the latest and greatest apps.
2. An iPad case. Speaking of tablets, I found some pretty cool iPad cases for PTs. Here are my favorite and second favorite.
3. Pop art. Help your favorite PT spruce up his or her home or clinic with some hip PT-themed hanging art, like this sweet poster or this super cool refrigerator magnet.
4. Therapy threads. Don’t just give a T-shirt; give a PT-shirt. (See what I did there?) There are tons of designs out there, but I really like this one from Cafe Press, this one from Zazzle and this one from 3E Love.
5. Kitchen apron. Shopping for someone who's a PT by day and gourmet chef by night? Check out this awesome apron.
6. A novel. ’Tis the season to curl up by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book. While there aren't too many fictional works out there with PT characters or storylines, I've rounded up a few titles to choose from (note that I haven’t actually read any of these, so you’ll have to trust the opinions of the online reviewers): "Long May She Reign" by Ellen Emerson, "Name Games" by Peter Abresch, and "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson.
7. Bling. Does the PT in your life love to accessorize? If so, I recommend this adorable PT necklace from Etsy.
8. A potted plant. Nothing brightens up an office like a little greenery. Add some fresh color to your PT’s clinic with a lucky bamboo, a nice bonsai tree or an ultra-chic air plant.
9. Time. OK, so you can’t really give time in a literal sense — which is too bad, because you’d be hard-pressed to find a PT who doesn't wish there were more hours in a day — but you can give the gift of time-keeping with this PT wall clock.
10. APTA membership dues. Last but certainly not least, consider giving your PT friend or colleague the gift of a voice in the PT industry. The APTA advocates for PTs on both the state and federal level, promotes the benefits of physical therapy to consumers and healthcare professionals, and provides access to valuable educational resources and opportunities. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
There you have it: my top 10 PT gift picks for 2013. Got a suggestion for something I should add to the list? Leave a comment below to tell me about it.