What is Physiotherapy?

People affected by injury, illness, or disability and need movement and exercise, manual therapy, education, and advice are get assisted and supported by physiotherapists for habilitation and rehabilitation. They help patients manage pain and prevent disease; therefore, they are taking care of the health of people in every stage of their life. This career facilitates retrieval by inspiring development and allowing patients to stay at work while helping them remain independent as long as possible. In order to improve the wellbeing of different “systems” of the body, the physiotherapy sector is mainly divided into three different categories such as neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Moreover, in today’s context, the physiotherapy community worldwide has been divided into three different names: physiotherapy, physical therapy, and kinesiotherapy.

History of Physiotherapy: how it Started?

The first practitioners of physiotherapy are known to be physicians like Hippocrates, and later Galenus, advocating massage, manual therapy techniques, and hydrotherapy to treat people in the 460 B.C. Orthopedics was developed in the eighteenth century and various machines were invented to treat illnesses.

In 1813, Per Henrik Ling founded the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics (RCIG) for massage, manipulation, and exercise. In 1887, Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare was given official registration to Physiotherapists.

This tradition was soon followed by other countries. In 1894 the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy was formed by few nurses in Great Britain. Following these formations, higher educational institutes such as the University of Otago in New Zealand started The School of Physiotherapy in 1913, and in 1914 Reed College Oregon, United States graduated "reconstruction aides” as a part of the booming education with regard to the discipline. Therefore, the New Zealand has a long history with regard to physiotherapy as it was officially started there in a university.

With the commencement of colleges and learning institutes, research regard to physiotherapy catalyzed the movement. March 1921 was a special year in related to the research field of Physiotherapy, as the first physiotherapy research was published in the United States in The PT Review and also the Physical Therapy Association was formed in the same year by Mary Mcmillan and is now known as American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

In the 1940s, Physiotherapy was primarily consisted of exercise, massage, and traction. By the early 1950s, Manipulative procedures started to be practiced especially in the British Commonwealth countries and adapted various other procedures. Later that decade, PTs started to move beyond hospital-based practice, to outpatient orthopedic clinics, and to many other places.

Specialization for physical therapy in the U.S. occurred in 1974, as the Orthopaedic Section of the APTA was formed for physical therapists to specialize in orthopedics. The International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapy, which has played an important role in advancing manual therapy worldwide was formed in the same year.

At present, this profession is a degree-based healthcare profession based on science. The practitioner takes a fully individual approach to the health and well-being of the patient even including the patient’s day today lifestyle. Physiotherapy might be needed for any individual at any given time in their life. Not only for common conditions such as back pain and sudden injury but also for long term health conditions such as preparing for childbirth, asthma, or for sporting events physiotherapy is a needed medical care in the industry.

Physiotherapy in New Zealand

Over 4,000 physiotherapists are monitored and controlled by Physiotherapy New Zealand (PNZ), the national membership organization for physiotherapists. Physiotherapists always use an evidence-based practice to assess, diagnose and manage patients, using their specific set of skills and based on the knowledge, experience, and expertise they have regarding the body function and malfunction to provide the most accurate treatment plan and prescribe an exercise plan.

As of early 2018, around 5,100 physiotherapists have registered with annual practicing certificates (APC) from PBNZ. Their work can be seen in a diverse distribution. 25% of physiotherapists works for District Health Boards (DHBs) and 58% work as primary care providers in private practices based in urban and rural settings. 81% of physiotherapists work in urban areas which depicts a disaccord in the ratio of physiotherapists to population for rural areas.

Innovative approaches used/ to be implemented

The Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand is always on the lookout for innovation and upgrading of the discipline. They conduct research and collect data based on quantitative and qualitative methodologies to have a deep understanding of the physiotherapy needs of the community and the expectations of the physiotherapists. Basically, they have an evidence-based approach when it comes to implementing innovative additions to the field. The Physiotherapy New Zealand (PNZ) has collaborated with various parties to thoroughly study the loopholes in the practice such as workforce issues in order to bring reforms to be implemented in the future.

Apart from that, a February 2020 report to Physiotherapy New Zealand demonstrates to increase in access to Physiotherapy in order to bring better outcomes to the overall healthcare industry of New Zealand.  The report showcases the importance of physiotherapy—bringing the discipline forward in a transdisciplinary model, and its advantageous outcomes that will resonate in the future through the New Zealanders. Maintaining equity throughout the healthcare sector is trying to be achieved by bringing forward strategic solutions to physiotherapy in New Zealand.

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