Theresa A. Schmidt, PT, DPT, MS, OCS, LMT, CEAS Related seminars and products: 10

Dr. Theresa A. Schmidt is President of Educise PC continuing education, and physical therapy in Dartmouth-Sunapee, NH. A board-certified Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, Expert Witness, massage therapist, and coach with over 30 years’ experience in clinical practice and education, she integrates best evidence-based practices of manual therapy and orthopedic rehab, with complementary medicine approaches for outstanding peak performance. She graduated Long Island University’s Masters Physical Therapy Program in with Highest Honors, and received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy Program at University of New England. She served as faculty at Touro College Physical Therapy Programs, Nassau CC and CUNY Queens College in NY. Dr. Schmidt presented for International Fascia Research Congress, American Physical, Occupational, and Massage Therapy Associations, NASA Inomedic Health, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic and medical centers across North America. She is a published author, Reiki Master Instructor, and integrative medicine clinician. Learn more at www.Educise.com.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Theresa Schmidt maintains a private practice. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc.

Non-financial: Theresa Schmidt has no relevant non-financial relationship to disclose.

What is health?

In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source defined health with a phrase that modern authorities still apply.

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

In 1986, the WHOTrusted Source made further clarifications:

“A resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities.”

This means that health is a resource to support an individual’s function in wider society, rather than an end in itself. A healthful lifestyle provides the means to lead a full life with meaning and purpose.

In 2009, researchers publishing inThe LancetTrusted Source defined health as the ability of a body to adapt to new threats and infirmities.

They base this definition on the idea that the past few decades have seen modern science take significant strides in the awareness of diseases by understanding how they work, discovering new ways to slow or stop them, and acknowledging that an absence of pathology may not be possible.