http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4537-030X
A fresh new year is ahead. As an editor, I’m receiving manuscripts from nearly all parts of the globe. For example, it is nice that also Japanese researchers are now submitting in the European Journal of Physiotherapy. I’m very happy for the increasing globalisation of the EJPT and thus, supporting global dissemination of new research in physiotherapy!
Apropos of globalisation, the global challenges are expanding on the physiotherapy map. Good health and well-being is the third of the WHO’s sustainable development goals. Health and well-being is strongly integrated with several other goals. For example, without health, a person might not be able to go to school or educate him-/herself (goal 4), or apply for work to possibly fight poverty (goal 1) and hunger (goal 2). The own health is crucial for the other WHO sustainable development goals to be important for a person. Gender and other inequalities, clean energy, clean water, climate problems are all important goals but if health problems are large it is probable that these other goals will be of secondary importance.
We all know that physiotherapy is a significant profession regarding sustainable health. We have the knowledge and skills to support patients’ management of many medical conditions. We have also increasing knowledge and skills to support patients’ behaviour change regarding lifestyle-related conditions that are often complicating a medical condition. The overconfidence in information and education being the only aspects for managing patients' lifestyle related health problems is past and gone. Information and education are needed but the majority of our patients also need other type of support from us. Physiotherapists need to engage themselves and their patients in Action Planning for the change to happen. The Action Plan must include physical activity of course but also what the patients should do with their counterproductive thoughts and feelings regarding physical activity specifically and daily activities generally.
In the year 2018, let us get even better in what we do the best!