What are the Differences Between Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy?

To begin we will say that physiotherapy is a branch of health science that offers treatment and therapeutic rehabilitation without drugs and serves to diagnose, treat symptoms of various ailments and prevent them.

For example, if a patient suffered a stroke or cardiac arrest and suffers some kind of deficit, the physical therapist can intervene to make the patient walk again, move around their home, etc., while the physiotherapist can teach to eat, to dress, to use a toothbrush.

At the same time, physiotherapy and physical therapy are terms that are often used interchangeably depending on the country you live in.

Regional differences

In the UK, for example, a physiotherapist is anyone who has completed a three- or four-year bachelor's program in physiotherapy. The term physiotherapist is protected by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), therefore, you cannot call yourself a physiotherapist if you did not complete this degree of study, in addition to being illegal as it is not certified.

In contrast, in many places like the United States and other parts of the world, the term physiotherapy is used to describe the "physio" (natural), but the process for qualifying is a bit different, as the salary is likely to be much higher in the US.

Therefore, in the United States, it is necessary to complete a two- or three-year bachelor's degree and then complete a three-year doctorate to qualify as a physiotherapist, and fact that you can use "doctor" as a prefix in your name.

In the Republic of Ireland, you can be a physiotherapist without qualifying, and this is legally fine.

Conceptual differences

• Physiotherapy: It is a non-pharmacological therapeutic alternative within the disciplines of Health. According to the WHO, physiotherapy is the science of treatment through therapeutic exercises, massage therapy, cryotherapy, electrotherapy, and physical means. It also includes the execution of manual and electrical tests to determine the value of muscle involvement and strength, tests to determine the range of joint movement, muscle capacities, and measures of vital capacity, as well as the control of evolution through diagnostic measures.

• Physical therapy: It is a method designed to help the patient maintain and improve their functional abilities as activities of daily living. It includes endurance and flexibility, strength development, and education on proper biomechanics such as body posture, preventing injuries, and achieving spinal stability.

Functional differences

• Physiotherapy: Its main objective is to facilitate the development, recovery, and maintenance of optimal functionality and motor skills of the patient or group of patients throughout their lives.

• Physical therapy: Its main objective is to restore the functions of the systems that suffered some alteration, raise the remaining potential, recover the damaged or injured tissue, re-educate the mobility of the human body impeded by an injury, and also prevent recurrent or future injuries. As a result, an increase in the quality of life of the patient is obtained, helping in the reintegration of daily activities partially or totally.

Conclusion

Both physiotherapy and physical therapy are concerned with restoring movement, reducing pain or barriers that prevent the normal functionality of the human body.

While these terms overlap, broadly speaking, physical therapy focuses on mobility and stability, while physiotherapy addresses fine and gross motor skills. Find out more about this here: miraclerehabclinic.com/blog/physiotherapy-vs-physical-therapy

Always remember to go to a professional or qualified professional center to help you or your family with mobility issues, injuries, etc., since they are the only ones who can give you a clear and accurate diagnosis of the appropriate treatments for each trauma or illness. Both professionals can help you to treat and recover from injuries efficiently.

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