There are various changes in diseases and injury patterns such as alternates in the environment which may be natural or man–made. Increases in population and increasing affluence in some countries may lead to the development of other health problems, for e.g., the greater volume of road traffic has increased the number of road accidents. Despite of improved education, people develop injuries.

The alterations in medical technology and improved health care have increased the demands on physiotherapy profession and in the others decreased them. More physically and mentally handicapped children survive and people have a longer life expectancy. These together with developments in cardiac surgery, neuro surgery and other surgical procedures all place further demands on physiotherapy services.

Role of Physiotherapy

• Helps to monitor patients who have been discharged from hospital to ensure that they are maintaining the level of physical activity reached on leaving hospital.
• To ensure full independence.
• To assess and evaluate the patient and then altering the physiotherapy treatment as the result of evaluation.
• Evaluation by the patient as a result of his disease/injury.
• The physiotherapist must understand the social, cultural and environmental factors as these may affect the requirements of each patient with regard to home, work and leisure.
• To gain co–operation of the patient.

In today's hectic life, the young generation is facing a lot of problems such as back problem, (due to bad posture at work, rush vehicle driving, lifting heavy weights and lack of exercise). Road traffic accident, commonly seen now–a–days may cause some neurological problem because of head injury. Also, because of drinking and smoking that arte very commonly seen in not only the affluent society but also the common man results in arteriosclerosis leading to either cardiac problem such as MI (Heart attack) or stroke. Physiotherapy plays a very important role in treating such cases. There are a lot of pain relieving modalities such as SWD, IFT, TENS.

Some of the areas where physiotherapy is a vital form to rehabilitate patients are: in the ICU, Post–Surgery, Amputation cases, Before and After Childbirth (obstetrics), Burns, Chest problems and physiotherapy in children. In patients who are bed redden due to either head injury or hemitropic should be given proper chest psycho to prevent pulmonary complication. Proper limb physiotherapy should be given to prevent vascular problems like Deep Vein Thrombosis or joint stiffness which commonly occurs due to immobility. Physiotherapist also helps the patient to return to the society with the help of an occupational therapist and social worker.