KUWAIT: Director of the Department of Physiotherapy Services at the Ministry of Health Abdullah Zaman affirmed on Tuesday that physiotherapy in Kuwait has witnessed a qualitative leap in the health services provided according to the latest international protocols, thanks to the efforts of its founders and members. Zaman said in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the occasion of the Ministry’s celebration of the ‘World Physical Therapy Day’ which falls on September 8. This year’s slogan, ‘Physiotherapy and Lower Back Pain,’ sheds light on the pains people go through.

He pointed out that lower back pain has become a global problem that requires spreading awareness of the importance of the role of physiotherapy in alleviating pain, adding that physiotherapy is one of the health professions concerned with helping people to regain their health. He added that the celebration comes within the framework of the Ministry and the Department of Physiotherapy Services’ keenness to develop the physiotherapy profession and raise its efficiency.

He praised the dedication and efforts of physiotherapy specialists towards achieving the vision ‘New Kuwait 2035’. Zaman pointed out that the Department of Physiotherapy Services is keen to enhance the role of the physiotherapy profession in society and highlight the role of the physiotherapist, which is based on awareness, prevention, and treatment of these pains.

He explained that the role of the physiotherapist lies in alleviating these pains using different techniques, whether manual therapy or therapeutic devices, in addition to developing a treatment plan based on providing awareness, guidelines, and health advice related to healthy posture, staying active, and modifying the home and work environments. The physiotherapist determines the therapeutic exercises for each patient after examining him/her and assessing the health condition. This includes flexibility, stretching, and strengthening exercises that work to increase the flexibility and strengthen the back muscles. — KUNA