Every year, on the 8^th of September World Physiotherapy Day, is an opportunity for physiotherapists around the world to raise the profile of the profession and highlight its contribution to global health.

It is spearheaded by World Physiotherapy, which is the international body of physiotherapy associations across the world and the premier voice for physiotherapy globally.

World Physiotherapy represents a hundred and twenty-five member organisations and over six hundred and sixty thousand physiotherapists from different parts of the world including The South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP) with over four thousand members.

SASP will celebrate its centenary in 2024.

As the largest representative professional body of physiotherapists in South Africa, the SASP spearheads the South African celebration of World Physiotherapy Day as well as the role the profession plays in support of the broader national health service.

This year, the theme for Physio Week, South Africa is “Physio for All Ages”. Several activities have been planned countrywide with the headline event being an activation at the Mall of Africa in Midrand, Gauteng on Thursday, September 8, 2022.

Why does the SASP celebrate World Physical Therapy Day?

The day provides an opportunity for SASP to raise awareness amongst the South African public regarding the role of physiotherapy. Since the day coincides with national Physiotherapy Week, previously known as Back Week, an emphasis will be placed on back related ailments.  Physiotherapists will be visible at some hospitals, clinics and malls doing an educational drive.

Why the focus on Ergonomics for 2022?

Since the lockdown, a large number of South Africa’s workforce has been working from home. While some have dedicated, well-equipped workspaces at home, many people are still working at home without the correct equipment and necessities at their make-shift home-workstations. With this in mind, the SASP is creating awareness of the importance of good ergonomics for back care.

“Ergonomics refers to the collective evaluation and redesigning of your work setup to reduce work effort and prevent back/neck pain. This could mean avoiding certain postures for prolonged periods of time and managing stressful movements to reduce fatigue, discomfort, and possible biomechanical problems” according to Karen Gibbs, Communication and Marketing NEC member of SASP.

Karen continues to add that “Pain in the lower back is a common concern, affecting many South Africans at some point in their lifetime. It is also one of the most common reasons for visits to a doctor’s office or hospital’s emergency department.

What’s the role of SASP for World PT Day?

As part of the “Physio for All Ages” activation, SASP will deploy its members to promote and educate the public regarding good back care with the slogan of “Be moved”. This will be done through activations on the day, which will be observed and celebrated at all the SASP branches across nine provinces in South Africa.

To get more information on SASP, visit their website www.saphysio.co.za and social media pages for more info.