Physiotherapy – An Effective but Underutilized Strategy for Strengthening Public Health

Abstract

There are several growing public health issues that physiotherapy can help to effectively manage, including low back pain, disabilities, physical inactivity, and diabetes, but access to physiotherapy is limited due to staff shortages and policies. These issues are an economic burden to individuals, employers, and health systems, they lead to many non-communicable diseases, health inequities, and poverty. Access to rehabilitative services such as physiotherapy is essential in maintaining or improving the health and socioeconomic status of patients. Physiotherapists keep people moving and have the highest clinician-patient contact time which makes them the ideal clinicians to incorporate physical activity counseling and health promotion strategies. Physiotherapy also positively contributes to health economics; it helps persons to improve their function and return to work following injury and illnesses, which means they can contribute to healthcare funding mechanisms. Physiotherapy also contributes to healthcare efficiency by decreasing the need for costly investigations and interventions, and results in positive outcomes for elderlies decreasing their need for medical care, this means funds can be directed to other urgent healthcare needs. Improving access to physiotherapy services is key to strengthening public health.