Challenge in the development of physiotherapy for women's health in Japan

Abstract

Background: In Japan, physiotherapy forwomen’s health care has not been popular yet. In addition, because, in Japan, almost rehabilitation for women’s health are not covered by public health insurance and direct access is not allowed. That is, it is not still easy that women receive physiotherapy management for prenatal and postpartum or any other women’s health issues. Meanwhile, professional training for women’s health has been required because it is not included in undergraduate program of physiotherapy education in Japan. Furthermore, there are many issues about so-called work-life balance for female workers in Japan and physiotherapists are also no exception. We established a community-based and privately-owned corporation to resolve the issues stated above since 2013. Purpose: The aim of this study was to review our activity and explore future prospects. Methods: For people community-dwelled, two group lessons for women’s issues and two lecture meetings were held. The group lesson for women middle-aged and older dealt with fall prevention, low back pain and lifestyle-related disease in terms of women’s health. The lesson for prenatal and postpartum issues consisted of lecture and exercise for restoring and maintaining health condition. Health checkup and educational activity about women’s health were performed in a community event. As professional training, three workshops were also held for physiotherapist. The workshops were composed of maternity exercise, lymphedema, temporomandibular disorders, health issue about adolescent female athletes and so on.We also hadworkshop about career design and work-life balance for female therapist. All our events had a nursery in order that therapists were able to participate in the workshop with children. And our events were supported by the students majoring physiotherapy as internships in professional training.We reviewed our activity based on questionnaire results from each event. Results: Regarding community-based lesson, almost all participants answered that they could understand and were satisfied with the contents. Participants would like to have exercise-based program regularly, which were one-hour or one-and-a-half-hours lesson once a week or a month on weekday. They also would like to know their physical condition and continue exercises. According to answers from physiotherapists, theywere interested in prenatal, postpartum and adolescent issues. They were also interested in cooperative action or founding of a private practice, to engage women’s health care. For attending the professional workshop, they would like to have a seminar on weekend with nursery because most participants were women. Conclusion(s): Providing women’s health support program by physiotherapist are needed in Japanese community. Identically, professional training is important. It may be critical that therapists who have children continue to study and involve in women’s health physiotherapy. Implications: Our activity just marked the beginning and is unique. Developing our activity would be one of the model for women’s health support by physiotherapists. We also think that involvement of men in all aspects regarding our activity will be important in future.