Last week we had the first meeting of the IPHA Executive for 2020.
Over the course of the next few weeks you’re going to be able to read about some of the work we’re doing, as each of the Exec members post about work they’re involved in.
Perhaps the most exciting plan we discussed was the development of a physiotherapy history course – the kind of thing that could be offered to students as part of their training, but also as something for clinicians, teachers, and researchers interested in physiotherapy history.
If you have topics you think should be part of the curriculum, or materials you’d like to share, email us directly or post something in the comments box below.
Later this month we will submit the papers for the first ever special issue of Physiotherapy Theory & Practice dedicated to the history of the profession.
We’re going to be adding more historical links and resources to the site, and, over the next three years, preparing for centenary celebrations in Canada, US, and South Africa.
This year marks 100 years since the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in the UK received its royal charter, so we’ll post more information on that as it comes up.
Overall then, 2020 promises to be another big year for the Association.
Don’t forget, if you’d like to receive email updates of new posts on the site, just sign up to be a member on the right hand side of the page. It’s free and will help us connect you in with the IPHA community.
Posted by Dave Nicholls
Dave Nicholls is a Professor of Critical Physiotherapy in the School of Clinical Sciences at AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand. He is a physiotherapist, lecturer, researcher and writer, with a passion for critical thinking in and around the physical therapies. David is the founder of the Critical Physiotherapy Network, an organisation that promotes the use of cultural studies, education, history, philosophy, sociology, and a range of other disciplines in the study of the profession’s past, present and future. He is also co-founder and chair of the International Physiotherapy History Association Executive, and founding Executive member of the Environmental Physiotherapy Association. David’s own research work focuses on the philosophy, sociology, and critical history of physiotherapy, and considers how physiotherapy might need to adapt to the changing economy of health care in the 21st century. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, many as first author. His first book – The End of Physiotherapy (Routledge, 2017) – was the first book-length critical history of the profession. A second sole-authored book – Physiotherapy Otherwise – was published in early 2022 as a free pdf/eBook (available from https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/tuwhera-open-monographs/catalog/book/8). He was co-editor on the first collection of critical physiotherapy writings – Manipulating Practices (Cappelen Damm, 2018) – and was the lead editor for the follow-up – Mobilising Knowledge (Routledge, 2020). He is also very active on social media, writing weekly on contemporary critical physiotherapy issues (criticalphysio.substack.com). He has taught in physiotherapy programmes in the UK and New Zealand for over 30 years and has presented his work around the world.
