President of the Barbados Physical Therapy Association (BPTA) Dr Stacey Boyce wants to educate Barbadians on the importance of physiotherapy in the wake of arthritis.
She was speaking at the Physio Open Day at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Wednesday ahead of World Physiotherapy Day on September 8 under the theme Arthritis And The Role Of The Physiotherapist.
“The eighth (of September) is the day chosen to celebrate and recognise physiotherapists around the world. Physiotherapists provide services that develop, maintain and restore a person’s functional ability and maximum movement. It is also their role to assist individuals throughout their lifespan when movement or function is impaired by disease, injuries, disorders or by ageing,” she said.
Boyce continued saying that the profession was becoming more diverse with a wide range of expertise to cater to our population’s needs.
“Some of those needs include pelvic health, lymphedema, vestibular rehabilitation, sports and the management of orthopaedic, geriatric, neurological, cardiopulmonary and paediatric conditions,” she said.It was against that backdrop, said Boyce, that she said it was important to see local polyclinics across the island adequately staffed with physiotherapists. At presently there is only one physiotherapist working in the clinics.
“Adequate staffing of these critical facilities can heavily impact on efficient rehabilitation, wellness, quality of life and productivity of our citizens. There is no need to suffer with pain, impaired function and a diminished quality of life when there are persons with the expertise to assist,” she stated.
The BPTA will be hosting a Public Education Day on Saturday at Skymall as well as its award ceremony and gala at the Savannah Beach Club on Saturday September 30.