Policy statement: Standards of physical therapist practice

The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) recognises the absolute importance of developing and documenting agreed standards for the practice of

Physical therapy —services for individuals and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan. Physical therapy is described more comprehensively in WCPT’s Description of Physical Therapy.

The professional title and term used to describe the profession's practice varies and depends largely on the historical roots of the profession in each country. The most generally used titles and terms are 'physical therapy’, ‘physiotherapy' and ‘physical therapist’, ‘physiotherapist’.

View the full list of glossary terms

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To help implement this policy, we have produced the WCPT guideline for standards of physical therapy practice.