What does physiotherapy mean?
Physiotherapy is the treatment and rehabilitation of the body through movement, exercise, massage, heat, and other physical methods. It is commonly used for injuries, muscle and joint conditions, neurological problems, and recovery after surgery or illness. A physiotherapist assesses a patient’s movement and physical condition and develops an individual programme of exercises or other treatments aimed at reducing pain, restoring function, and preventing further injury. The word is especially familiar in British English, where “physiotherapist” is the usual term for the practitioner; in the United States, “physical therapy” and “physical therapist” are more common. Although the term can refer to the treatment itself, it also names the broader healthcare discipline concerned with movement and rehabilitation.
nounThe treatment of injury, illness, or physical disability by means of exercise, massage, heat, and other physical methods rather than surgery or medicine. Physiotherapy is also used as a field of healthcare concerned with restoring and maintaining movement and physical well-being.
- The treatment of injury, illness, or disability through exercise, massage, heat, and other physical methods.
- The healthcare field devoted to diagnosing and treating physical impairments through movement and other physical methods.
"After the injury, she underwent several weeks of physiotherapy to regain strength in her knee."
"The physiotherapist designed a programme of exercises to improve her posture."
"Access to physiotherapy has expanded as hospitals increasingly combine it with other forms of rehabilitation."
The plural is used when referring to different courses or forms of treatment, though the singular is much more common.
"The clinic offers several physiotherapies for different sports injuries."
Physiotherapy comes from Greek roots meaning “nature” and “treatment,” so its name literally suggests treatment through the body’s natural movement and physical agents.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does physiotherapy come from?
Physiotherapy was formed in the early 20th century from Greek physi- or physio-, associated with “nature” or the body’s natural functioning, and -therapy, from Greek therapeia, meaning “service, care, or treatment.” Its formation reflects the development of non-surgical rehabilitation and the systematic use of physical agents and exercise in medical care. The components belong to the same Greek lexical traditions that produced physiology, physiologic, and therapeutics.
Related word forms
How physiotherapy is actually used
The term is standard in British English and common internationally. In American English, “physical therapy” is usually preferred, while “physiotherapy” may sound formal or institutional. “Physio” is an informal British abbreviation; the field’s practitioners are called physiotherapists in British English and physical therapists in American English.
Easily confused with physiotherapy
“Physiotherapy” and “physical therapy” refer to the same general field, but “physical therapy” is the more usual term in the United States, whereas “physiotherapy” is especially common in British English.