World Physiotherapy Day

Tuesday 8 September was World Physiotherapy Day. This day is dedicated to celebrating the work of physiotherapists globally. As physiotherapists we help people of all ages to improve their movement, function, and overall physical wellbeing and independence. We develop personalised treatment plans that address each person's unique needs and goals. Physiotherapists play a vital role in enhancing quality of life and enabling people to participate fully in the activities that matter most to them.

The Department of Physiotherapy celebrated World Physiotherapy Day with a morning tea with lots of yummy (perhaps unhealthy) treats. I am sure we all did our 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity that week!

This year the focus of World Physio Day was on stroke and cardiovascular disease. Physiotherapists are integral in the prevention and rehabilitation of these conditions – you can read more about our role in the World Physiotherapy Day advocacy toolkit.

The Department of Physiotherapy’s REPAIR research group aims to challenge the status quo for stroke recovery. They are currently leading trials testing interventions to improve recovery post-stroke. You can check out some of their ongoing trials, including UPLIFT, FIT4ME & DOSE UP on the Stroke Foundation’s website.

Members of REPAIR, Dr Emily Dalton, A/Prof Natalie Fini and A/Prof Kate Hayward, recently authored an invited paper in the Journal of Physiotherapy on Recent highlights in motor recovery and rehabilitation research after stroke.

And to mark World Physiotherapy Day, A/Prof Natalie Fini was invited to speak on a podcast with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) team about stroke recovery and the importance of physical activity.