Summer 2025 Special Feature
World Physiotherapy Congress 2025 – A chance to reconnect and reinvigorate.
Alice B. Aiken, PhD, Professor
Dr. Alice Aiken mirroring the World PT Congress sign.
The Senso-ji temple at Asakusa.
In late May I had the great pleasure to attend the World Physiotherapy Congress (WPC) in Tokyo, Japan. From the opening session, which had dance performances worthy of Broadway, to the networking opportunities, to experiencing local culture, it was, in a word, amazing. The conference had 4000 attendees from all over the world, with almost 100 Canadians, including a few friends from right here in Nova Scotia!
To say that the programming at the WPC was exciting is an understatement. It was diverse, relevant, extensive, and, above all else, global. My only regret was that I could only attend one session at a time. There were clinical seminars about cutting-edge treatment in all areas of physiotherapy practice. Traditional areas such as orthopedics, cardiorespiratory, neurology, and sports therapy, as well as innovative areas of practice like mental health and school-based physiotherapy were highlighted. There were interesting global discussion sessions on topics such as cultural perceptions of health, the use of social media in our profession, and physiotherapy in conflict and emergency settings. The focused symposia offered a chance to delve in-depth into topics such as trauma-informed approaches to pain and learning health systems in physiotherapy. There were also numerous posters, virtual posters, and platform abstracts presenting a wide variety of relevant topics.
Some of the programming I particularly enjoyed were the less formal, facilitated discussions called “Idobata.” Idobata is a Japanese word meaning a place of informal gathering and conversation. With topics such as the role of failure in development, taboos, wicked problems, and fatigue, they were lively and engaging sessions.
The World Physiotherapy board also held an important session on the role of financial analysis and health economics in promoting physiotherapy. I have included the links to the fascinating reports from Canada, the USA and Australia. These are well worth a read, especially if you are promoting our profession to funders. Another project the board has launched is to determine research priorities to advance the physiotherapy profession globally. They have asked me to consult with the board on this important piece of work, and I am more than happy to do so.
And, as all physiotherapists know, the networking was a critical part of the conference. This was a chance to catch up with colleagues from all over the globe and to meet new friends. I was thrilled to have been invited to attend and participate in the Congress, and I want to assure all my physio colleagues that our profession is thriving and growing around the world.
Dr. Alice Aiken at a networking session with colleagues from Canada (including CPA President, Alison Stene), the US, New Zealand, England (including World Federation of Occupational Therapy President Sam Shann) and Ireland.