LAHORE SPINE CARE

On September 8, 2024, we celebrate World Physiotherapy Day, and this is the perfect time to discuss the importance of physiotherapy and the need to expand access to such services. The theme for this year is, Empowering Movement, Improving Lives, which I believe underlines the responsibility of physiotherapists in not only the management and treatment of injuries and disabilities, but also in the promotion of health and wellbeing.

The theme of World Physiotherapy Day on the 8th of September this year is LBP (Low Back Pain) and how physiotherapy can help prevent and treat it.

Understanding the Impact of Physiotherapy

This paper aims to provide a better understanding of the impact of physiotherapy.
It is therefore evident that physiotherapy is way beyond a treatment for physical ailments. It is an approach that is used in treating movement dysfunction and enhancing the person’s physical health, as well as preventing future injuries. Manual therapy, exercises and patient education are integral components of physiotherapy treatment and can be applied to acute injuries, chronic diseases, and post-surgical rehabilitation.

The benefits of physiotherapy

It is important to note that the outcomes of physiotherapy are not only the alleviation of pain, but also the improvement of the quality of life. It assists individuals to be able to regain their independence, enhance the quality of life, and get back to work and other everyday tasks. In addition to being corrective, physiotherapy can serve as a preventive tool and assist individuals in learning how not to get injured in the first place.

The Present Status of Availability of Physiotherapy

Although physiotherapy is effective, the availability of physiotherapy services is limited in some regions of the world. The availability is also an issue in many areas, particularly LAMICs where there is a shortage of healthcare professionals, a dearth of health facilities, and a lack of funding. However, in low and middle-income countries, barriers like long waiting times, high costs and no insurance can pose challenges even in high- income countries.

These disparities have profound implications. Lack of physiotherapy services leads to a slower progress of the patients, higher costs and an overall reduced quality of life for many people. For others, it translates to suffering from avoidable disabilities or having to live with intractable pain that could have been addressed had diagnosis happened in good time.

Why Better Access Matters

It is not a matter of therapying more patients but to give everyone a chance at the best life they can have. undefined

Early Intervention and Prevention: Through early intervention, physiotherapy can nip illnesses in the bud, thereby preventing them from worsening and translating into greater costs in the long run for the healthcare system.

Improved Quality of Life: Physiotherapy enables clients to improve their movement, gain relief from pain, and optimize their physical and mental health. This is equivalent to better quality of life and enhanced ability to manage the daily activities of life.

Economic Benefits: Physiotherapy services should be considered as an investment because it can generate reduced costs for more expensive treatments, less absenteeism from work, and increased productivity.

A Call to Action

On the occasion of World Physiotherapy Day 2024, the global physiotherapy community must unite to eliminate the barriers that deny access to physiotherapy. undefined

Advocate for Policy Change: Governments and health organizations should consider physiotherapy as an essential component of their strategies and agendas. This includes increasing funding, incorporating physiotherapy services into primary care, and ensuring that health insurance plans cover physiotherapy.

Increase Education and Training: Efforts to increase the enrollment for physiotherapist education and training can contribute to solving the problem of staff deficit for certain regions.

Raise Awareness: Awareness creation through campaigns may help people to seek help from a physiotherapist when they develop an ailment. Awareness can also be used to demystify the process of visiting a physiotherapist when not sick or in need of rehabilitation.

Support Research and Innovation: The funds can be used in research, thus developing new techniques and using technologies that make physiotherapy even more efficient and available.

Promote Telehealth Solutions: Telehealth is therefore promising in providing solutions to gaps in access particularly in rural or hard-to-reach communities. Increasing the capacity for telehealth services can allow more patients to receive the care they require.

Conclusion

World Physiotherapy Day 2024 is a call to celebrate and recognize the role of physiotherapy in promoting health and quality of life. Therefore, it’s an appeal to all stakeholders, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, and people, to strive for the removal of barriers that hinder access to such services.

Of course, when promoting the availability of physiotherapy, we can contribute to making people healthier and more active. On this day, let us all pledge to continue fighting for better access to physiotherapy services and to embrace physiotherapists as life-changing heroes.