There has been a common misconception about medical rehabilitation and physiotherapy in Nigeria, especially among students seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
Some students argue that both courses are the same, while others believe they are entirely different.
In this article, we will clear the air and address these misconceptions.
What is medical rehabilitation?
Medical rehabilitation is a branch of healthcare that focuses on helping people restore, maintain and improve their physical or mental ability after a prolonged illness, injury or disability.
Medical rehabilitation is a field of study that focuses on recovery, adaptation and overall body functionality.
Medical rehabilitation is just like an umbrella field that includes various specialised professions. These include:
Physiotherapy – This involves the treatment of disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as massage, heat treatment, and exercise rather than by drugs or surgery.
Occupational Therapy – This involves using everyday activities to treat physical, mental or emotional development limiting a patient in performing their daily tasks.
Speech and Language Therapy – Assists individuals with communication or swallowing disorders.
Audiology – Deals with hearing and balance deformity
Prosthetics and Orthotics – Involves the design and fitting of artificial limbs and supportive devices.
What is physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy, also known as physical therapy, is a healthcare profession that focuses on helping individuals improve movement, restore function, and reduce pain caused by injury, illness, or disability. It is regarded as a subfield under medical rehabilitation.
Physiotherapists help newborns with posture or walking deformity to regain their posture and walking form. They also help elderly people suffering from strokes or in joint and bone replacement.
Similarities between Medical Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy
Medical rehabilitation and physiotherapy are not the same, but they share many similarities, and their fields of study usually overlap especially in practice. This overlap is one of the main reasons people confuse the two.
Both fields aim to restore function, improve mobility, reduce pain, and enhance a patient’s overall quality of life whether through physical therapy, assistive devices, or other therapeutic interventions.
Both physiotherapists and medical rehabilitation professionals work in the same workplaces, like hospitals, rehabilitation centres, clinics, sports institutions, and home-based care.
In many Nigerian universities, students studying medical rehabilitation take similar courses to physiotherapy. Some universities do medical rehabilitation, while others do physiotherapy.
Despite these similarities, it’s important to understand that physiotherapy is just like discipline under the umbrella of medical rehabilitation. So take medical rehabilitation as the main field and physiotherapy as a subfield under medical rehabilitation.
Regulatory Bodies Governing Medical Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy in Nigeria
In Nigeria, both medical rehabilitation and physiotherapy professionals are regulated by bodies that ensure professional standards, ethics, and competency in practice.
1. Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (MRTBN)
The MRTBN is the primary regulatory body for all medical rehabilitation professionals in Nigeria.
This body oversees the training and certification of medical rehabilitation practitioners. When I’m talking about medical rehabilitation, I mean all subfields of the discipline, including physiotherapy.
2. Nigerian Society of Physiotherapy (NSP)
The Nigerian Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) is a special professional association for physiotherapists in Nigeria.
It’s not regarded as a licensing body, but it plays a vital role in advocating for physiotherapists in Nigeria.
3. Physiotherapy Association of Nigeria (PAN)
PAN is a sub-group of the NSP, specifically for physiotherapists. It focuses on promoting the interests and professional growth of physiotherapists in Nigeria.
Tertiary institutions that offer physiotherapy as a course in Nigeria
- University of Lagos (UNILAG)
- University of Benin (UNIBEN)
- University of Ibadan (UI)
- Bayero University Kano (BUK)
- Bowen University (BU)
- University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)
- University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID)
- University of Uyo (UNIUYO)
- Usman Dan Fodio University (UDUSOK)
- Kaduna State University (KASU)
- Redeemer’s University (RUN)
- Federal University, Ndufu-alike (FUNAI)
- Federal University, Wukari (FUWUKARI)
- Yobe State University (YSU)
- Evangel University (EVANGEL)
- Chrisland University (CHRISLAND)
- Gregory University, Uturu (GUU)
- University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State (UNIMED)
- Pamo University of Medical Sciences (PAMO)
- Zamfara State University, Talata Mafara (ZSU)
- Claretian University, Nekede, Imo State
- David Nweze Umahi University of Medical Sciences (DNUUMS)
- Capital City University, Warawa, Kano (CCUK)
- Khadija University, Majia, Jigawa State (KUM)
- Maryam Abacha, American University of Nigeria (MAAUN)
- Thomas Adewumi University, Oko-Irese, (TAO)
Tertiary institutions that offer medical rehabilitation as a course in Nigeria
- University of Nigeria Nsukka
- (UNN)Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK)
- Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
- University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State (UNIMED)
Is medical rehabilitation the same as physiotherapy in Nigeria?
In Nigeria, many people often confuse medical rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
This confusion is widespread, especially among students seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
Below are the differences between physiotherapy and medical rehabilitation.
| Aspect | Medical Rehabilitation | Physiotherapy |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Broad field covering multiple rehab disciplines | Specialized in just physical therapy. |
| Degree Awarded | B.MR (Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation) | Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) or Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation (BMR) |
| Disciplines Covered | Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, etc. | fully focussed on just Physiotherapy |
| Specilaization | You can choose where you to specialise on | Only Physiotherapy |
| Professional Identity | Graduates may need to specify their area of specialization | Graduates are directly identified as physiotherapists |
| Curriculum Focus | General rehab foundation plus options to specialize | Entirely focused on physiotherapy theory and practice |
Conclusion
Medical rehabilitation and physiotherapy are not the same course, even though they share some similarities.
Think of medical rehabilitation as a broad discipline comprising different fields like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, prosthetics, orthotics, etc.
Physiotherapy is the major part of medical rehabilitation and is considered the backbone of the field.
Some universities offer physiotherapy as a course, while others offer medical rehabilitation.
Nevertheless, both share almost the same course outline, and they are both five-year degree programmes at tertiary institutions, leading to a degree in Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) or Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation (BMR) (Physiotherapy option), depending on the university.
