World Physical Therapy Day 2022
The World Confederation of Physical Therapy (World Physiotherapy, in short) proclaimed the eighth of September as World Physical Therapy Day in 1996, and this has been an annual event since. Harking back to the 1950s, the touch of care through physiotherapy has meant healthy mobile lives everywhere. This is a golden day for physiotherapists all over the world to raise awareness about their profession’s contribution- passionately catering to keeping everyone well, independent, and mobile. In short, a physiotherapist is the OG exercise and therapy guru without getting too hot and heavy on the workouts. Their focus is on healing severe injuries with manual movement, exercise, and therapy to maintain the health and mobility of injured and disabled people of all ages. And so, a shoutout to quality physio…
1. Talk of the Day – Osteoarthritis
Members of World Physiotherapy have been hand-picked to reflect on osteoarthritis (OA), a common form of arthritis, for this year’s campaign. Surveys have estimated the world’s OA population at 520 million, with 60 % of the cases affected by knee osteoarthritis. In a study of 291 conditions globally, hip and knee OA ranked as the eleventh-highest contributors to disability. What exactly causes OA? – tricky question, fuzzy answer. This is where our skilled magicians work on the front lines with exercises for OA. Physiotherapists have trained to advocate and assist with leading active lives by improving joint movement and strengthening muscles. With consistent help from a PT, affected patients will experience some pain relief, reduction in OA symptoms, and manage to stay independent.
2. Age Bar Is No Barrier
The fantastic thing about physiotherapy is that it is for all age groups. It safely promotes the management of your illnesses, letting you lead a medicine-free, independent life. With medicines, you get temporary relief, but physiotherapy offers you possible lifetime relief. Overcoming your pain with physical therapy also means enhancing muscle strength and getting rid of dysfunctions that may be caused by an injury. Here is your chance to go on that hike you have on hold; put aside your age concerns and go out there and live – you have got physical therapy at your disposal.
3. No Knives, Better Lives
Have you heard promises that an injury or dysfunction can be healed without cutting you open? A physiotherapist would never break such a promise – they usually avoid suggesting surgery and, in most cases, are successful. Physical therapy can not only alleviate pain and promote healing but is indeed a long-term solution. Once the pain is gone, it is pretty much gone for good.
4. To Mobility and Beyond
What is impossible for physiotherapy could be counted on one hand – in other words, barely anything. Healing a severe injury, recovering from dysfunctions due to stroke, managing diabetes – you name it, physical therapy does it all. Physiotherapy is a life-saver for moments of crisis, from postpartum care to bowel incontinence, constipation, fibromyalgia, lymphedema, etc. That’s right, folks, physiotherapy and physiotherapists are gifts we should all be eternally grateful for!
The next time you take a fall (and we do not mean for a person, sorry physiotherapists cannot help with that), suffer an injury, or need help with disease management, maybe run to the physiotherapist instead of – ignoring it until it gets worse or going through the whole pills and surgeries cycle. Do not let your present inhibit your future. Fix it, flip your life story from closed to open, and win a chance at a better life with the wonders of PT.
