E896 | CSM 2026 Recap

CSM Recap: Why the PT Profession Is Moving in a Better Direction

CSM is back on the radar.

If you don’t know CSM, it’s the APTA Combined Sections Meeting, the biggest conference in the profession every year.

Doc Danny hadn’t really been involved since 2019.

This year was different.

It was his first time presenting at CSM, it was held in Anaheim, and he walked away with a clear takeaway.

Things are trending in a really positive direction, especially for the performance-based and cash based side of the profession.

What Stood Out Most at CSM

Doc Danny shared a few observations that made this trip feel worth it.

Not just as a presenter.
As someone watching the profession evolve.

1. The Performance Based Side Is Growing Fast

Over the last 15 years, the performance-forward approach has expanded massively.

The style many clinicians now gravitate toward sits in the middle ground between:

Traditional PT
Training and conditioning
Return to sport performance work

This was the world that shaped Doc Danny early on.
Movement-based rehab.
Reloading athletes.
Plyometric progressions.
Return to sport layering.

And at CSM, that niche felt more visible than ever.

A big example.

They had a gym area in the conference.
Not as a gimmick, but as a real education and training environment.

People were running seminars on movement patterns.
Pilates education.
Adaptive athlete training.
Even limb salvage and prosthetics discussions inside the gym space.

That’s a huge win for the profession.

And credit to Kelly Starrett for pushing to bring more of that into CSM.

Some clinicians want nothing to do with that space, which is fine.
But for younger clinicians, it’s exactly what they want.

And it’s also the world that often leads into cash based practice models.

2. The Variety of Sessions Is Legit

With 15 to 20,000 people there, you’d expect there to be something for everyone.

But the feedback Doc Danny heard was that it was genuinely valuable.

A tactical athlete clinician said it was worth the time.
Another friend presented on mountain sport athletes and filled a room with hundreds of attendees.

That’s the point.

People want to learn specialized skills, not generic information.

3. Students Were One of the Best Parts

Doc Danny loves talking to students.

They are thinking ahead.
They are planning their career with intention.
They are soaking up opportunities and looking for different paths beyond the typical clinical route.

A huge theme that came up with students was AI.

And the stance here is clear.

PT is in a unique spot.

It’s hard to replace human-to-human evaluation and treatment.
But AI can make clinicians better and more efficient.

Students are tech-forward.
They will push the profession forward faster than previous generations.

That’s a good thing.

4. APTA Leadership Felt More Forward Thinking

This was one of the most refreshing parts of the trip.

Doc Danny had multiple conversations with APTA leaders, both staff and elected roles.

The takeaway was not “everything is perfect.”

It’s that the people he spoke with actually wanted the profession to improve.
They were open to suggestions.
They were paying attention to what business owners are seeing.

And they recognize what is happening.

Entrepreneurship is becoming a bigger part of the profession.

Right now only about 4 to 5% of PTs are self-employed.
Compare that to chiropractic or dentistry and it’s not even close.

But the trend is changing.

Students and younger clinicians are thinking entrepreneurship earlier.
And you could feel that momentum at CSM.

Why This Matters for Cash Based Clinics

When the profession leans more into:

Performance-based training
Wellness and longevity models
Entrepreneurship
New practice models

It creates space for cash based and hybrid clinics to grow with less resistance.

That benefits clinicians and it benefits patients.

The Underestimated Benefit of Conferences

Beyond the education and the presenting, CSM delivered something else.

Connection.

Doc Danny bumped into:

Old classmates
Friends from previous roles
Professors and mentors
People he hadn’t seen in years

One of the funniest moments was literally walking out of an elevator and running into his academic advisor from the Army Baylor program.

Those organic catch-ups matter.
They remind you the profession is big, but not that big.

Technology Spotlight

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Final Thought

CSM exceeded expectations.

More performance-forward education.
More student interest.
More openness to entrepreneurship.
More forward-thinking leadership.

Doc Danny’s takeaway is simple.

He’s going back next year.

Philly, here we come.

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