The Need for Transformational Change in Social Justice–Informed Physiotherapy

In a recent issue of Physiotherapy Canada, an editorial by Dhir and colleagues called for the physiotherapy profession to integrate concepts related to justice into entry-level training and practice. We agree that content on justice should be included in entry-level physiotherapy programs and practice. Dhir and colleagues raised the issue that physiotherapy lacks a model or framework that can guide the application of social justice principles in practice. We argue that for physiotherapy to become social justice-informed, the profession may benefit from adopting a tripartite model of practice similar to that of Payne’s typology of social work so that clients’ (and physiotherapists’) sociocultural context can be more explicitly considered. However, in the pursuit of social justice-informed physiotherapy, the profession must also take a critical look at its identity and current positioning within the Western healthcare system.