Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute

Background: Importance of community rehabilitation in India has been emphasized in previous research. There is ample research that has been published for different communities in the country. However, the precise role of physiotherapy in community rehabilitation is unclear.The objective of the current brief report is to look into the role of physiotherapy in community rehabilitation.Methods: Relevant literature search was done using databases namely Medline, Scopus, PubMed, PEDro and CINAHL using search terms- India, community rehabilitation, home rehabilitation, home exercises and physiotherapy. Studies that followed the PICO format, published in English,after 2005 and that had specifically mentioned the role of physiotherapy in community projects were included.Results: While there are handful of studies that have mentioned the contribution of physiotherapy in the community, most of the interventions are targeted toward management of chronic health conditions. More work needs to be done to outline the importance and precise role of physiotherapy in the rehabilitation of communities in India, especially in preventive care.A model has been created to emphasize the holistic approach of physiotherapy in the Indian setting.Conclusion: Physiotherapy has a pivotal position in community rehabilitation in India.However, published research for the same is lacking. While physiotherapy interventions have been designed to target chronic health conditions in the community, emphasis on preventive care is lacking.

Community physiotherapy is unique to every country. The successful implementation of community physiotherapy depends on various factors, such as the local community settings, the availability of resources, the type of health conditions prevalent at the time of rehabilitation, and the national health laws, to name a few. Certain challenges are common to most countries, especially the developing ones. If major challenges like lack of adequate training and research opportunities and inadequate awareness about the importance of physiotherapy among communities, are addressed, community physiotherapy can prove to be cost-effective tool of rehabilitation. The progressive community physiotherapy models that are being used in developed countries can serve as a guide to countries that are struggling to further community health. In addition, cross-country and/or cross-continent collaborations could help in knowledge dissemination and faster adoption and implementation of effective community physiotherapy models. This brief report discusses certain community rehabilitation practices and strategies that have been put to use in different parts of the globe. In addition, some of the effective examples have been highlighted.