Fundamentals of Physiotherapy Praveen Kumar, Parvathi Raju, Venkata Prasad
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1General2

IntroductionCHAPTER 1

Praveen Kumar
 
DEFINITION
“Physiotherapy is a branch of medical health care practised by a qualified physiotherapist who assesses, evaluates, diagnoses and renders the treatment to the patients suffering from diseases related to orthopedics, neurology, chest, pediatrics, gynecology, geriatrics, nephrology, cancer, sports, postcardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, etc. using physical modalities like heat therapy, cold therapy, exercise therapy, massage therapy, and manipulative therapy, in order to alleviate the pain and bodily malfunction and to make the patients functionally independent”
 
INDIAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSIOTHERAPIST (IAP)
According to the Indian Association of Physiotherapist, physiotherapy is defined as an allied health profession practised by a physiotherapist who uses various physical modalities to reduce pain and other bodily malfunction.
 
AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION
Physical therapists are good people to know. They are educated in understanding the interaction of all your body parts. Their hands-on approach begins with examination, diagnosis, and treatment of the immediate problem. Then they teach you how to take care of yourself by showing you how to do exercises and how to use your body properly to gain strength and mobility and prevent recurring injury. You will find them advising on proper posture and body motion in the workplace, treating injuries, consulting on fitness, and administering physical therapy in the home. Today, physical therapists provide help for every part of the body to everyone from infants to the elderly—more than 1 million people every day!
 
AUSTRALIAN PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATION
Physiotherapy is a health profession concerned with maximizing mobility and quality of life by using clinical reasoning to select and apply the appropriate treatment. Physiotherapy practice has a long history and modern clinical practice is heavily reliant on research evidence.
4Physiotherapy extends from health promotion to:
  • Injury prevention;
  • Acute care;
  • Rehabilitation;
  • Maintenance of functional mobility;
  • Maintenance of the best achievable health in people with chronic illness;
  • Patient and carer education;
  • Occupational health.
Physiotherapists are first contact practitioners who are a key element of primary care in Australia.
 
CHARTERED SOCIETY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY—UK
Physiotherapy is a health care profession concerned with human function and movement and maximizing potential:
  • It uses physical approaches to promote, maintain and restore physical, psychological and social well-being, taking account of variations in health status.
  • It is science-based committed to extending, applying, evaluating and reviewing the evidence that underpins and informs its practice and delivery.
  • The exercise of clinical judgment and informed interpretation is at its core.
 
CANADIAN PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATION
“Physiotherapist is a health care profession directed at evaluating, restoring and maintaining physical function.”
Physiotherapists have a detailed understanding of how the body works and are university educated and trained to assess and improve movement and function and relieve pain. Physiotherapists promote good health by encouraging their patients to improve and increase their independence.
 
BRIEF HISTORY
The practice of physiotherapy has come into picture at the time of the Second World War when the injured soldiers were given physical means of treatment. Gradually, a few universities started to offer diploma courses (one year) in physiotherapy abroad and in India. The duration of the course was later increased to three years. In 1970s, foreign universities started to offer clinical-oriented degree courses in physiotherapy. Many countries including India later adopted this. The Bombay University was one of the first universities to offer a degree course in physiotherapy. Gradually, many universities in South India started offering degree courses. Today, there are many colleges in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, 5and Andhra Pradesh offering 4½ years degree program in physiotherapy. Likewise, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and a few other states also offer this program. Today, a stage has come where a physiotherapy graduate can reach up to superspecializations level by selecting a branch of his/her interest.
Today, physiotherapy is considered as allied health profession. The degree program in physiotherapy prepares physiotherapists who are skilful and willing to learn and who have a research and development-oriented approach to their work. There is tremendous research being carried out abroad and in India to make it as an evidence-based practice. Physiotherapy has its role in every branch of medicine and surgery involving patients from all age groups. They have the capacities to work as experts in individual and community rehabilitation questions in different working contexts. The aim of physiotherapy is to promote the humans physical and functional capacities and thus to promote/maintain human welfare in cooperation with other instances.
Physiotherapists can practice independently without prior medical referral. Graduate physiotherapists are aware of their professional, ethical and financial responsibilities and are able to theoretically justify their activity.
 
SUBJECTS
The subjects studied during four years of course work are:
  • Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Pathology
  • Microbiology
  • General medicine
  • General surgery
  • Plastic surgery
  • Pediatrics
  • Pharmacology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Gynecology
  • Orthopedics
  • Neurology
  • Cardiothoracic
  • ENT
  • Community medicine
  • Sports medicine
  • — The study of structure and form of an organ.
  • — The study of function of an organ.
  • — The study of diseases.
  • — The study of microorganism.
  • — The study of various diseases associated with different organs.
  • — The study of surgical procedure for alleviating diseases.
  • — The study of surgical procedures used for reconstruction and cosmetic purpose.
  • — The study of children and their associated diseases.
  • — The study of drugs.
  • — The study of eye diseases.
  • — The study of diseases associated with female genital system.
  • — The study of joint and bone diseases.
  • — The study of nervous system and diseases associated with it.
  • — The study of diseases associated with cardiopulmonary system.
  • — The study of diseases of ear, nose and throat.
  • — The study of community.
  • — The study of sport-related diseases and injuries.
 
PHYSIOTHERAPY-RELATED SUBJECTS
  • Exercise therapy
  • Massage therapy
  • Electrotherapy
  • Manipulative therapy
  • Mobilization therapy
  • Physiotherapy in orthopedics
  • Physiotherapy in neurology
  • Physiotherapy in cardiorespiratory diseases
  • Geriatric rehabilitation
  • Biomechanics
  • Sports therapy.
  • — The study of therapeutic exercises and their effects.
  • — The study of therapeutic massage and their effects.
  • — The study of electrotherapy modalities and their effects.
  • — The study of manipulations and their effects.
  • — The study of mobilization and their effects.6
BIBLIOGRAPHY
  1. American Physical Therapy Association, available online http://www.apta.org/Consumer/whatisPT
  1. Australian Physiotherapy Association, available online http://apa.advsol.com.au/scriptcontent/foryou_whatisphysio.cfm?section=for you
  1. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, UK, available online http://www.csp.org.uk/physiotherapy/whatisphysio.cfm
  1. Canadian Physiotherapy Association, available online http://www.physiotherapy.ca/informationsheets.htm