Happy Physiotherapy Day!

Did you know that September 8th is World Physical Therapy Day? It is the date selected by the World Confederation for Physical Therapy to acknowledge the important work that physiotherapists (PT) do. This year’s campaign theme is “physical therapy and mental health.”  

 

It’s easy to think about the role of a PT in the context of a specific injury—if you sprain your ankle or have knee surgery, you might automatically think about how a PT will help you to recover from your injury or surgery. A PT will also help with managing chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. Chronic diseases are complex, and a physiotherapist can be one member of a necessary support team to ensure that the disease is well-managed.

 

But physiotherapy can extend even further beyond acute physical injuries and chronic disease management!

 

They educate and offer advice about disease prevention, injury prevention, healthy living, and overall well-being. And, one very important aspect of overall well-being is mental health. This year’s campaign theme is to bring awareness to how physical therapy and physical activity play an active role in mental health.

 

People with mental health issues are more at risk of having poor physical health. However, through advice and exercise programmes, physical therapists support people with mental health issues. Physical activity and exercise protects against the emergence of depression and has shown to be an evidence-based treatment for depression. PTs keep people moving through interventions to help maximize not only physical mobility but also mental well-being.

 

I’m sure many physiotherapists live by the old age: “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.”

 

A little preventative maintenance from a physiotherapist might reduce the need for significant therapy down the road—especially in the case of chronic disease, disability or mental illness. Seeking PT help early after diagnosis can help you to create a lifestyle and environment that will best support you as you adapt to your new diagnosis. As you can see, the role of a physiotherapist is broad, and they greatly impact the quality of life for the patient they see. 

 

In honour of all that they do in our community, we say Happy Physiotherapy Day from Warm Embrace Elder Care.

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