PST 110:

INTRODUCTION TO THE
PHYSIOTHERAPY PROFESSION (1)
 WHAT IS PHYSIOTHERAPY?
• Synonym of physical therapy
• PHYSIO + THERAPY
• A Healthcare Profession; Examples of other
Healthcare Professions include Medicine,
Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Sciences,
Radiography.
• A healthcare profession that is concerned with
the promotion, preservation and restoration
of optimal physical function throughout life
(Akinpelu, 2016).
• Physiotherapy helps to restore movement and
function when someone is affected by injury,
illness or disability. It can also help to reduce
your risk of injury or illness in the future (NHS,
UK 2018).
• A profession is an occupation for which
preliminary training is intellectual in nature;
involving accumulation of theoretical
knowledge and learning, not just mere
accumulation of skills. It is characterised by
the following attributes:
1. Has an existing body of knowledge
2. Has definite standard of performance
3. It is guided by code of conduct.
• A human service/ healthcare profession is
regarded as a calling, with specialised
knowledge and often requires long and
intensive academic preparation.
• It is characterised by registration and requires
each practitioner to be licensed (Oyeyemi,
2009).
• An organised and mature profession provides
opportunities for specialisation among its
members. The development, status and scope of
practice of a profession could vary between
countries.
• A professional is someone who has a high degree
of decision making.
• Physiotherapy is provided by specially-trained
and regulated practitioners called
physiotherapists.
 PHYSIOTHERAPY CORE SKILLS
• Exercise Therapy
• Manual Therapy
• Electrotherapy
These core skills differentiate Physiotherapy
from other health care professions because they
are peculiar to it.
 HISTORY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
• Dates back to the nineteenth century (1813)
when Per Henrik Ling started the Royal Central
Institute of Gymnastics in Sweden.
• Decades later (1894) four nurses in Britain
formed the Chartered Society of
Physiotherapy (CSP).
• University of Otago, New Zealand started a
school of Physiotherapy.
• Physiotherapy training started in the USA in
1914 at Reed College, Portland, Oregon.
• In Nigeria, due to the colonial affiliation,
Physiotherapy was fashioned after the British
model; it was introduced by two British
physiotherapists (Miss Manfield and Mr
Williams) at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital
now National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi in
1945.
• Majority of the patients seen were military
returnees from the second world war.
• A three-year diploma training programme
was started and graduates were designated as
assistant physiotherapists who worked under
strict supervision of the chartered
physiotherapists.
 World Congress of Physical Therapy
• International body comprised of all national
physiotherapy associations; founded in 1951 in
Copenhagen, Denmark with 11 nations in
attendance (South Africa inclusive).
• WCPT collaborates with the World Health
Organisation (WHO) and other international
health organisations on aspects pertaining to
health and general well- being of the populace.
• There are five regional associations of WCPT,
these are: Africa, Asia& West Pacific, European,
North America& Caribbean, South America.
• First WCPT congress was held in London in
1953 and this holds once in every four year’s.
• Last edition was held in Geneva, Switzerland
between 9th and 13th May, 2019
 Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy
• Body of physiotherapists in Nigeria,
inaugurated on 29th August 1959 at the
instance of Messrs T.A Oshin and late C.A
Ajao.
• Inaugural meeting held at the Physiotherapy
Department, UCH
• Joined WCPT provisionally in 1966, fully in
1967.
• Holds national annual conferences and
meetings.
• Election of officers holds every two years.
• Has chapters in most states of the federation.
• Facilitates various continuous professional
development programmes for members.
• Involved in advocacy, liases with the
government and other relevant bodies
 Medical Rehabilitation Therapists
Board of Nigeria
• A parastatal of the Federal ministry of health
• Established by decree 38 of 1988/ Act LFN
2004 to regulate the practice of Physiotherapy
and other rehabilitation disciplines in Nigeria..
• Formally inaugurated on 29th December, 1992.
• Roles of MRTB include:
• Annual registration of Physiotherapists
• Induction of newly qualified Physiotherapists
into the profession.
• Internship training programme
• Accreditation of Physiotherapy facilities for
internship training
 National Postgraduate Physiotherapy
College of Nigeria
• Inaugurated in November 2012 by the NSP to
structure clinical residency programme in
Physiotherapy.
• Proposed specialities for residency training
include:
• Orthopaedics, Sports, Women’s health,
Cardiopulmonary, Neurology and Mental
health, Paediatrics, Geriatrics, Community
health.
 THE SCIENCE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
• This is Pathokinesiology, the Knowledge Base of Physiotherapy, the
Science of Physiotherapy
• Pathokinesiology

Definition
• Science/Knowledge Base of Physiotherapy
• Disablement/Physical Dysfunction/Dyskinesia
• Foundation, in
• Functional Anatomy
• Interactions of body systems
• Energy production for the working systems
And the qualifying prerequisites are
– Physical and biosciences
– Liberal arts and Communication skills
• Pathology
– Knowledge base or the Science of Medicine- Study of process of
diseases
• Kinesiology
– Analytical and systematic study of human (and animals) movements..
– Kinematics and Kinetics
• Pathokinesiology
– …in disease or sequel to trauma or congenital abnormalities.
– Disablement
– Dysfunction
– Dyskinesia
• Pathokinesiology is the knowledge base or the science of
physiotherapy
• Movement is essential for survival and thriving:
• Where movement
• hurts or
• is late or
• insufficient or
• exaggerated or
• Uncoordinated
• Pathokinesiology is the science for intervention
and the physiotherapist is equipped to restore
functional movement.
Measurements are very essential in any science.
• Pain rating scales*
– VAS, VRS, MVRS, SDS, PPI- McGill Pain Qnr
• Disability and Functional Assessment Scales*
• Force plate
• Telemetry System for measuring ground foot
force (GFF)*
• Mobility measurement equipment
– Inclinometer
– Flexiometer*
• Goniometers
– Conventional Goniometers—
1800,..3600,..Universal,..*
– Hydrogoniometer*
– Polarized Light Goniometer (Polgon)*
– Electrogoniomter (Elgon)*
• Anthropometric Tape*/ Tape Rule
• Electroneurological Test and Therapy Equipment
– Electromyograph
– ElectroStimulators for NCT, SDC
• Physiotherapy is , therefore, partly
complementary to paediatrics, medicine and
surgery in all ages and also has a professional
status of offering treatment: habilitative,
rehabilitative, wellness promotion and
palliative services in a wide range of
musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders
and abnormalities in infants, children, women
and the elderly.