We are thrilled to announce that Ari Kaplan is our Top Contributor for October 2025! As a dedicated Physiopedia Plus Course Instructor for the past 8 years, Ari has consistently brought a wealth of expertise, enthusiasm and innovation to our global learning community. With a background in Biomechanics and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Delaware, Ari currently works with ATI Physical Therapy in Bear, Delaware, where he balances clinical consultation, clinician development and teaching across multiple academic and professional programmes. A true problem-solver at heart, Ari is passionate about empowering learners, refining clinical skills, and inspiring growth — both in the classroom and beyond.
Time active with Physiopedia: I have been working with Physiopedia as an Instructor on Physiopedia Plus (Plus) courses for 8 years now.
Current role with Physiopedia: Plus course Instructor.
Where did you go to university/college? I studied for an undergraduate degree in Biomechanics and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Delaware USA.
Where do you work? I currently work for ATI Physical Therapy in Bear, Delaware, USA.
Describe your role: I have a split role at ATI Physical Therapy – partly in patient care, primarily focusing on consultation on difficult cases with individuals who have not recovered; and partly on operations, focusing on clinician development through oversight of our onboarding and mentorship programmes. On top of that I also teach in four physical therapy and residency programmes, as well as delivering continuing education courses on a variety of sports and orthopaedic topics
What is the most rewarding part of working with Physiopedia? I’m a problem solver at heart, driven by a desire to make things work better. So I enjoy the challenge of supporting learners to improve their clinical skills – whether it’s helping a patient progress or refining an athlete’s mechanics. I’m motivated by finding new ways to teach in the clinic or classroom (or online!), and I find great joy in taking an analytical approach to every challenge.
What are some of the more challenging aspects about your work? I’m an analytical problem solver, which consistently works when we look at machines. But we are people with emotions and not just mechanical systems. Everyone of us looks at the world differently. Whether it’s a single person in front of me or 1,000 people I am delivering a programme to, the challenge is not just delivering information and solutions, but finding ways to get people to buy-in. Finding ways to reach them emotionally and create a desire to seek the solution. While this is the most challenging aspect, it also adds to the joy of successful experiences.
What are some of your professional passions? My professional passion lies in identifying gaps in success, diving in to analyse them and finding creative solutions. Whether I’m treating patients, managing teams or developing programnes, I’m driven by the process of setting goals and conquering them. Every challenge starts with listening, observing and asking questions – then testing hypotheses and learning from the outcome. I believe in failing small and fast to ultimately succeed big, and that mindset fuels my joy and growth in every professional realm.
What are a few of your personal passions? My personal passions start with my family. I have a wonderful wife, an 8-year-old son, and a 4-year-old daughter who bring a smile to my face every day. Simple moments, like throwing a ball with my son or dancing with my daughter and seeing their pure joy, these are some of life’s greatest rewards.
I also love setting personal goals and staying active. I bike every morning and feel my best when I’m outdoors. I’m passionate about sharing that lifestyle with my kids. It can be a family bike ride, a hike or a group workout together – being together and working hard together is something that I love.
What would be your advice to a newly graduating physiotherapist or professional? Coming out as a new graduate, keep an open mind and don’t specialise too soon. There is so much to learn and early on it’s important to gain an understanding of how the body works, get great at the foundations and develop systematic ways of looking at things to help you develop clinical reasoning. No matter the field, experts do the little things right and recognise patterns more quickly. It’s not about the newest technique, because every technique only works if you’re using it for the right person.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 5 years, I would like to be continuing to teach and grow professionals through multiple avenues in both clinical and professional development.
What are the best things about being part of the Physiopedia team? Being a part of Physiopedia provides an avenue for my voice and to share what I’ve worked so hard to learn. It’s an avenue to share the mixture of years of developing clinical patterns in practice combined with the best literature available.
How has being a Physiopedia team member helped your professional development/career progression? Collaborating with Physiopedia has been a great experience and partnership for sharing ideas. It’s a fantastic platform that lets me focus on what I love, developing programmes and sharing knowledge, while handling the parts I enjoy less, like editing, formatting and visual design.
What are your hopes and aspirations for Physiopedia? Physiopedia is an incredible platform for sharing knowledge. From the basic pages on Physiopedia to the formal courses on Physiopedia Plus, the worldwide reach has the capability of continuing to develop both our profession and healthcare in general.
What is your favourite Plus course? I’m a bit biased, but I’m really excited for the upcoming release of our overhead athlete programme. It’s a compilation of years of working with athletes, working with other experts in the field, and integrating literature into my approach. We mix in the strict throwing literature with biomechanical analysis, motor control retraining and other advanced means for rebuilding individuals. It truly takes the literature collected on thousands of baseball players and helps you individualise the plan for your individual athlete in front of you.
Anything else you would like to share? Thank you for being a partner!
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