The Department of Health has incorporated 90 physiotherapists to the primary care centers of the Northern Metropolitan Health Region to respond to one of the most frequent pathologies in the health system, such as osteoarticular pathologies, such as low back pain and cervical ailments, knee and hip. The objective of this new professional role is to promote and improve the autonomy of the person cared for, prevent musculoskeletal diseases and reduce the consumption of medicines.
Thus, professionals focus mainly on community care and especially on pathologies of high prevalence and low complexity, such as vertebral pain (low back pain and neck pain), knee pain or chronic hip pain, shoulder pain and patients at risk of frailty. .
In the North Barcelona Metropolitan Region, 36 of the new physiotherapists have joined teams in Barcelonès Nord and Maresme, 35 in Vallès Occidental and 19 in Vallès Oriental. The distribution in the largest municipalities is as follows: 13 in Badalona, 10 in Terrassa, 10 in Sabadell, 7 in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 7 in Mataró, 5 in Granollers, 3 in Sant Cugat and 3 in Rubí.
With the incorporation of physiotherapists in the primary care teams (EAP) it is also intended to increase the link of the population with activities and services in their neighborhoods, cities or towns that are beneficial in this context. Along these lines, activities in schools or with groups of the elderly are common, for example, often in coordination with rehabilitation services and other community agents that participate in the care process.
Another area in which physiotherapists have a prominent role is in coordinating with family doctors, nurses, social workers, emotional referents, dietitians and nutritionists to address the promotion of healthy habits and disease prevention.
