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DESCRIPTION OF PHYSICAL THERAPY Why a Description? The existence of WCPT (World Confederation for Physical Therapy) demonstrates the international dimension of Physical Therapy practice. The variety of its Member Organisations illustrates the diversity of needs and contexts of health care delivery throughout the Confederation. In response to a motion at the 13° General Meeting to develop a description of physical therapy, WCPT initiated a consultative exercise with the intention of providing a foundation on which Member Organisations in different parts of the world could build a description of physical therapy relevant to their needs. WCPT is committed to supporting Member Organisations - not stereotyping them. It is in this spirit that this description of physical therapy has been drawn up in response to the expressed need of members. It is intended as a Position Statement rather than a Declaration of Principle and is therefore open to be adopted fully, in part or further evidence upon which future practice will build. Nowhere is this more apparent than in our understanding of human movement which is central to the skills and knowledge of the physical therapist. Clearly the uniqueness of the contribution which physical therapy can make to health care in the next millenium remains to be fully defined. This statement is presented as the basis upon which subsequent reviews of the description will continue to be conducted in response to the development of knowledge in physical therapy and the profession's response to changing health needs of society.
Note The professional title and term used to describe the profession's practice vary and depend largely on the historical roots of the profession in the country of the WCPT Member Organisation. The most generally used titles and terms are "physical therapist" or "physiotherapist" and "physical therapy" or "physiotherapy": Physical therapist and physical therapy are used in this document but be replaced by WCPT Member Organisation in favour of those terms officially used by them and their members without any change in the meaning of the document. The nature of physical therapy (Torna all'inizio) Physical Therapy is providing services to people and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan. Physical therapy includes the provision of services in circumstances where movement and function are threatened by the process of ageing or that of injury disease. Full and functional movement are at the heart of what it means to be healthy. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximising movement potential, within the spheres of promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Physical therapy involves the interaction between physical therapist, patients or clients, families and care givers, in a process of assessing movement and skills unique to physical therapists. The physical therapists' distinctive view of the body and its movement needs and potential is central to determining a diagnosis and an intervention strategy and is consistent whatever the setting in which practice is undertaken. These settings will vary in relation to whether physical therapy is concerned with health promotion, prevention, treatment or rehabilitation. The nature of the physical therapy process (Torna all'inizio) Physical therapy is the service only provided by, or under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist and includes assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention and evaluation. Assessment includes both the examination of individuals or group with actual or potential impairments, functional limitations, disabilities, or other conditions of health by history taking, screening and the use of specific tests and measures and evaluation of the results of the examination through analysis and synthesis within a process of clinical reasoning. Diagnosis arises from the examination and evaluation and represents the outcome of the process of clinical reasoning. This may be expressed in terms of movement dysfunction or may encompass caregories of impairments, functional limitations, abilities/disabilities or syndromes. Planning begins with determination of the need for intervention and normally leads tothe development of a plan of intervention, including measurable outcome goals negotiated in collaboration with the patient/client, family or care giver. Alternatively it may lead to referral to another agrency in cases which are inappropriate for physical therapy. Intervention is implemented and modified in order to reach agreed goals and may include manual handling; movement enhancement; physical, electro-therapeutic and mechanical agents; functional training; provision of aids and appliances; patient related instruction and counselling; documentation and co-ordination, and communication. Intervention may also be aimed at prevention of impairments, functional limitations, disability and injuri including the promotion and maintenance of health, quality of life, and fitness in all ages and populations. Evaluation necessitates re-examination for the purpose of evaluating outcomes.
The scope of physical therapy services (Torna all'inizio)
Physical therapy is an essential part of the health services delivery system. Physical therapists practice independently of other health care providers and also within interdisciplinary rehabilitation/habilitation programs for the restoration of optimal function and quality of life in individuals with loss and disorders of movement. Physical therapists are guided by their own code of ethical principles. Thus, they may be concerned with one of the following purposes:
Settings in which physical therapy is practised(Torna all'inizio) Physical therapy is delivered in a variety of settings which allow for it to achieve its purpose. Treatment and Rehabilitation usually occur in community and acute care settings which may include but are not confined to the following:
Prevention and Health Promotion are more likely to occur in the following settings although they often form an integral part of treatment and rehabilitation offered within other care settings.
Assumptions underlying the knowledge and practice of physical therapy (Torna all'inizio)
The following assumptions are embedded in this description and reflect the central issues of physical therapy. Principles supporting the description of physical therapy (Torna all'inizio)
In order to make explicit the underlying values upon which this internetional description of physical therapy is based there follows a list of principles which are recognised as important by WCPT.
REFERENCES (Torna all'inizio)
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