‘Tis the season for giving—and showing your favorite humans a little appreciation. But finding the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list can be a major challenge. Sure, online shopping simplifies the whole gift-hunting process, but one Google search can also send you tumbling through pages upon pages of possible purchases. Before you know it, you’ve doom scrolled from tangent to tangent, your peppermint mocha caffeine buzz is wearing off, and your virtual shopping cart is still empty.
So, for all you gifters out there who are looking for a thoughtful way to say “happy holidays” to your favorite physical therapist, we’ve taken care of the tumbling for you, and put together a list of our favorite gift ideas for physical therapists, organized by category. (We’ve even included a few perfect gifts for physical therapy students.) Happy holidays!
Workplace Widgets
To begin, let’s check out some workplace upgrades guaranteed to relieve some of the daily stress and fatigue PTs experience.
- Physical therapists’ work stations mimic their profession—they need to be mobile. As such, the standard hospital tray tables just don’t cut it, so help them out with this mobile desk.
- For the coffee or tea drinker who is constantly on the move, nothing is a better savior than an anti-spill drink holder or its clip-on variant.
- Help keep your PT’s smartphone charged with this sleek mobile desk add-on.
- If that special PT you’re buying for has a special spot to stand and document for exorbitant amounts of time, try a memory foam mat to better support their knees, back, feet, and joints.
- Acute care PTs who spend 10-12 hour shifts running from patient bed to patient bed would love a gift for their tired dogs, like these FIGS shoes—a popular brand among healthcare workers.
- For the PT that works in the schools or in homecare, help organize their satellite office with a mobile desk.
Baubles and Bling
Know a PT who can’t get enough sparkle and shine? Then one of these therapy-themed accessories might just be the golden—or silver or pearl or rhinestone—ticket. (You might even decide to go for more than one—what does Coco Chanel know, anyway?)
- This colorful sparkly necklace and personalized card serve as a literal token of appreciation with a personal touch.
- Shopping for a new grad? This handmade silver-plated DPT necklace will be a treasured keepsake for many years to come.
- Charm jewelry can make for a pretty charming gift: Items like this necklace and this bangle bracelet provide the perfect combo of wearability and sentimentality.
- Lots of PTs have to wear the same name badge every day, but that doesn’t mean they can’t dress it up a bit. Here’s a fun retractable badge holder reel, you PT ninja, you.
Flair You Can Wear
PTs help people get back to doing the things they love; and this sweet therapy swag will help therapists show how much they love doing what they do.
- This t-shirt from 3E Love is one of our favorites—and for good reason. Click here to check out the inspirational story behind the brand.
- Shopping for a PT with a funny bone? Give a drum roll for this foam-roller tee. We’re also digging this tee for the fun-loving PT—or this one for PTs with a dark sense of humor.
- Physical therapists have a special affinity for musculoskeletal diagrams—and with this shirt, they won’t even have to reach for that Netter’s anatomy atlas.
- Have a physical therapist that is all about the kiddos? Try this fun pediatric themed t-shirt.
- Any physical therapist can tell you, athleisure wear was made for them. But don’t feel like you have to break your piggy bank when affordable brands like this one or this one are just a click away.
- Ah, neckties—a classic holiday gift for dads everywhere. And if the dad on your gift list happens to be a PT, he might enjoy this tie in particular—or maybe this one or this one.
The Art of Therapy
There’s nothing like a well-placed print or poster to make a clinic feel warm and inviting. Throw a frame around one of these awesome pieces of art, and you’ll have a gift that your PT—and everyone else in the office—can enjoy for many patient visits to come.
- Vintage prints make great conversation pieces, and this image from Etsy is no exception.
- Make your favorite PT the star of his or her own comic with a personalized cartoon drawing.
- And what PT wouldn’t want his or her very own street sign, which—of course—would be for the aptly named Physical Therapist Dr.? Now, every patient will know where to find the best therapist in all the land.
- This chalkboard-style art puts a fresh spin on an old classroom staple. Like what you see? Check out another option (with a similar aesthetic) here.
- Help your favorite PT cheer up the office with word art that describes PTs as creative investigators who transform lives. How sweet!
- While not PT-specific, this motivational wall decal could be perfect for a clinic. It could also be exactly what a patient needs to see to continue on with his or her treatment.
Fun and Functional
Whoever said practical gifts were faux pax obviously never got a Roomba—or any of the super useful items listed below—as a holiday gift.
- This travel mug (or this one) is the perfect present for PTs who enjoy a nice, hot cup o’ java almost as much as they enjoy prescribing calf-raises.
- Speaking of morning coffee—here’s a cup (and here’s another one—or two) for a PT with a good sense of humor. And here’s one for a PT student who’s a total caffeine addict.
- Ever ask your physical therapist what their favorite coffee drink is only for them to respond with, “a tensor fascia latte!” Find great dad jokes like that one (and more) here—or, get a book that’s full of them.
- If your therapist likes to unwind with the occasional glass of vino, this engraved glass could be good for a chuckle with every sip.
- With WebPT, there’s no need to haul around any paperwork, but this customizable tote would be great for the gym—or, for the PT who’s lucky enough to get a little R&R, for the pool or the beach!
- Whether you’re in the pro- or anti-decorative pillow camp, you can’t deny that this little bundle of fluff would be a great PT clinic waiting room addition.
- This anatomy-themed iPhone case could help your favorite PT keep his or her phone safe—and promote PT to the world. You can also choose this one (which is personalized). Just be sure to pick a case for the right phone model!
- This customizable, PT-themed stainless steel water bottle will ensure any PT stays healthy and hydrated. So will this “humerus” aluminum water bottle (see what we did there?).
- Want to help your PT add some pizzazz to the water bottles and laptops in their life? Give them a sticker or two—or three!
- If your favorite physical therapist loves to read, consider gifting a book or two on a topic you already know will be a hit: PT.
- This one is more decorative than functional, but it certainly is fun: here’s a physical therapist ornament sure to delight any PT in need of holiday tree decor.
Words of Appreciation
Sometimes, the very best gifts are the ones written from the heart.
- There’s a lot to be said for a well-written thank-you card; so, if you’d rather put your appreciation in writing this year, consider penning a PT-themed greeting card (or this one).
There you have it: our list of the best gifts for physical therapists in 2022. Now that you’ve got so many fantastic options, all that’s left to do is pour yourself some eggnog and pull out your credit card (not necessarily in that order). And if you’re looking for a similarly suitable gift for any OTs or SLPs in your life, feel free to check out this post or this post, respectively.
Got a gift suggestion that isn’t included here? Leave a comment below and share it with the world.
