Continuing professional development (CPD) is an important part of being a practising physiotherapist in Australia.

It is a requirement of renewing your registration each year that you declare that you have complied with the CPD registration standard.

As a physiotherapist, you may find that running your business from home offers an appropriate balance—lowered costs and greater flexibility.

However, as with any business, there are risks and working from home carries risks that may not be on your radar.

What are they?

What are the potential risks?

Slips and falls

We have just had our very first face-to-face National Advisory Council (NAC) meeting for 2023 in Melbourne.

In NAC meetings, the APA national groups, entities, networks, councils, panels and the Board of Directors all come together to assess and talk about whatever factors are affecting the profession and to prioritise our responses and our proactive strategies.

Reflecting on this successful event, I came away with the same positive feelings and thoughts that meeting in person always gives rise to.

Over seven million Australians live outside of major metropolitan centres. 

The vastness of our nation and its population density and distribution mean that we have to address issues differently in rural Australia. 

It is partially because of the incompleteness of that conversation that I am using this forum to provide a more rounded analysis.

In early 2022, Jennifer Lohmus APAM, an early career physiotherapist working in private practice in Melbourne, was not sure where her career was headed.

‘I was a bit lost in the physio world.

‘I was thinking about working on some kind of titling pathway, but I wasn’t sure. 

To work as a physiotherapist in Australia, practitioners must be registered with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia, which is also responsible for setting guidelines for the physiotherapy profession.

If you are a registered physiotherapist, any advertising you do must comply with the professional codes and guidelines set by the Physiotherapy Board of Australia.

‘Advertising’ includes, but is not limited to, all forms of verbal, printed or electronic public communication that promote a regulated health service.

Why is ‘Dry Needling Physiotherapy Level 1’ recommended?

Dry needling is a popular treatment approach and can be highly effective when applied appropriately.

However, it can also be very risky—medico-legal claims for needling malpractice have been some of the largest in the profession.