ABSTRACT
Physiotherapy is one of the oldest of the allied health professions, having its origins in 1884 with a group of nurses interested in massage and physical healing. It is now a profession of more than 41,000 members (2006) in the UK (that is, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) who have clinical autonomy to assess, diagnose and treat patients. Physiotherapists work to restore or improve movement disorders and dysfunction, as a result of injury, disease or following surgery, with a wide range of patient groups and ages, encompassing broad variations in health status over the lifespan. Using physical and interpersonal approaches physiotherapists aim to maximize potential through promotion, maintenance and restoration of each individual’s physical, psychological and social well-being. According to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy,
The profession is science-based, committed to extending, applying, evaluating and reviewing evidence that underpins and informs its practice and delivery, and has the exercise of clinical judgement and informed interpretation at its core (CSP, 2002). 1
