Physiotherapy in Indian communities: a brief review

Area of Science:

• Public health
• Rehabilitation medicine
• Community health

Background:

• Community rehabilitation is recognized as important in India.
• Existing research covers various communities, but physiotherapy's specific role remains unclear.
• This report aims to clarify physiotherapy's contribution to community rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of physiotherapy in community rehabilitation in India.
• To identify research gaps concerning physiotherapy's involvement in community-based programs.

Main Methods:

• Literature search conducted across Medline, Scopus, PubMed, PEDro, and CINAHL.
• Included studies published after 2005, in English, following PICO format, and mentioning physiotherapy in community projects.
• Search terms included 'India,' 'community rehabilitation,' 'home rehabilitation,' 'home exercises,' and 'physiotherapy.'

Main Results:

• Few studies highlight physiotherapy's community contribution, primarily focusing on chronic condition management.
• Further research is required to establish physiotherapy's importance and exact role in Indian community rehabilitation, particularly in preventive care.
• A model for a holistic physiotherapy approach in the Indian context was developed.

Conclusions:

• Physiotherapy is crucial for community rehabilitation in India, but supporting research is scarce.
• Current physiotherapy interventions often target chronic conditions, with less emphasis on preventive strategies.
• There is a need for more research to fully elucidate physiotherapy's role in community health and prevention in India.