Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) on Sunday called on the National Assembly to pass a bill to establish the National Postgraduate Physiotherapy College of Nigeria.
The National President, Dr Rufai Ahmad made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
This year’s theme, as stipulated by the World Confederation of Physical Therapists (WCPT), is ‘Role of Physiotherapists in Chronic Pain’.
According to him, passage of the bill by the National Assembly will go a long way in giving physiotherapists in Nigeria the clinical skills and competencies required to manage critical conditions that give rise to chronic pain.
“The management of Chronic Pain is a multidisciplinary task in which health professionals contribute according to their scope of practices.
“Physiotherapists prescribe specific exercises that help relieve or eliminate the pain.
“There are other physical means of managing pain such as nerve stimulation and ice therapy that do not have side effects.
“Physiotherapists also use other forms of treatment such as motor imagery and mirror therapy, which use the concept of ability of the brain to reorganise itself through a process referred to as Neuroplasticity,” Ahmad said.
He said chronic pain could be as a result of many conditions such as neck and back problems, cancer, osteoarthiritis and many other conditions.
Ahmad said as a result of the pain, which persist and last for weeks or even months, patients could lose ability to perform activities of daily living apart from the severe discomfort that accompanies the pain.
“Physiotherapists’ role in managing chronic pain is best achieved with specialisation. Physiotherapists specialise in many aspects of health care such as problems affecting Children (Paediatric Physiotherapy) and elderly (Geriatric Physiotherapy),
“Others includes Women (Women’s Health Physiotherapy) muscles and bones (Muskuloskeletal Physiotherapy), Brain and Nerves (Neurological Physiotherapy), Heart and Lungs (Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy) and Cancer (Oncology and Palliative Care Physiotherapy),” he said.
Ahmad said the Foundation for Physiotherapy specialisation in Nigeria had been strengthened with the approval of the Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) programme designed to enhance the capacity of Physiotherapists to work in a multidisciplinary setting within each of the areas of specialisation.
He said the association was currently partnering with seven hospitals, one in each region and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to establish Centres of Excellence in each of the physiotherapy specialisation areas.
Ahmad said partnership was expected to help in reversing Health Tourism, especially considering the fact that physiotherapy services are part of Medical Rehabilitation that cannot be achieved through medical tourism.
NAN reports that World Physiotherapy Day (WPD) is commemorated yearly on Sept. 8. (NAN)
