The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) recently made a submission to the Federal Government in response to its call for consultation on a range of health reform issues that will affect changes to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act. The APA called on the government to protect the term ‘physio’ to reassure the public that practitioners using this term are fully qualified, registered physiotherapists using evidence-informed treatments. 

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating and painful condition affecting more than 2.2 million Australians at a cost to the health system of $2.1 billion annually. As Australia’s population ages and obesity rates climb, this figure is expected to grow to more than 3 million by 2030¹.

Arthritis costs the Australian economy $23.9 billion annually, and is the major cause of chronic pain and disability in Australia. However, patients living remotely and those with mobility issues cannot access Medicare or private health insurance rebates for video consultation with their physiotherapist, despite growing evidence that digital health treatment options are effective. On World Arthritis Day, Friday 12 October, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is calling for increased treatment access for sufferers.

Counter to advice in a recent Reader’s Digest article, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) advises that exercise programs should be based on individual ability and needs, rather than age.