World Physiotherapy Day has been celebrated every year since 1996 on 8 September, corresponding to the date on which the current World Physiotherapy was founded in 1951.
World Physiotherapy Day is an opportunity to recognise the significant role the profession plays in the health and well-being of the general population, and to promote the profession to its users and communities.
World Physiotherapy produces and makes available graphic materials to support physiotherapists in their activities, such as information leaflets, posters e bannerswith translations into several languages. The Order of Physiotherapists has been a member of World Physiotherapy since the beginning of 2023 and participates in the translation of these materials.
The focus of this year's World Physiotherapy Day is low back pain (lumbago) and the role of physiotherapy in its treatment and prevention.
Information leaflets
Posters
Banners
World Physiotherapy Day in pictures
The Order of Physiotherapists shares a gallery of photographs sent in by our members, which illustrate the celebrations of World Physiotherapy Day and reflect the commitment of physiotherapists all over the country in celebrating this date.
In a partnership between Almada City Council and the Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, students from the 3rd and 4th years of the Physiotherapy degree organised and promoted an awareness campaign on low back pain. Held in Santo António Park, on the Costa de Caparica, this action involved supporting the local population.
At the Terra Fria Community Palliative Care Support Team of the Nordeste Local Health Unit, E.P.E., physiotherapists carry out home-based rehabilitation activities in the palliative context. The images shared illustrate exercises in muscle strengthening, mobility, hip elevation and spinal rotation, with the aim of relieving lower back pain and improving users' stability and mobility. These exercises not only help prevent pain but also promote a better quality of life.
On World Physiotherapy Day, ULS Santa Maria recognised and celebrated the tireless work of its physiotherapists. The team provides specialised care in various areas of the institution, including inpatient units, intensive care units, outpatient clinics, as well as home care and primary health care, contributing to the recovery and improvement of patients' quality of life.
With the largest number of physiotherapists in the country, ULS São José has around 100 professionals distributed between primary health care and hospitals, integrated into multidisciplinary teams. On World Physiotherapy Day, ULS São José thanked all physiotherapists for their dedication, commitment and professionalism in promoting patients' health and well-being.
As part of the celebrations, ULS Tâmega e Sousa organised an activity entitled "Walk with the Physiotherapist". The event began with a visit to the Monte Mozinho Interpretive Centre, followed by preparatory exercises for the walk. The activity culminated with a walk to the main point of the Romanesque Centre and a stretching session for the participants, combining cultural recognition with health promotion.
The ULS Viseu Dão Lafões organised an awareness campaign in the lobby of the São Teotónio Hospital in Viseu on the importance of physiotherapy in the treatment of low back pain. The initiative, led by the hospital's physiotherapists, included the display of posters and the distribution of information leaflets. Aimed at both health professionals and the general community, this action was designed to raise awareness of low back pain and how physiotherapy can help prevent and treat it.
