English Reference

Word

physiotherapy

Phoneticsphys·io·ther·a·py

UK/fˈɪzɪˌəʊθɪɹəpi/

Definition

n. a treatment that uses physical methods like exercise, massage, and heat to help people recover from injuries or manage pain.

n. the treatment of disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as massage, heat, light, sound, and exercise. Often used in clinical contexts to describe the profession or the specific therapeutic interventions.

Examples

“After the surgery, the patient began a six-week course of physiotherapy to regain full mobility in her knee.”

“Modern physiotherapy often integrates manual therapy with evidence-based exercise programs to address both the immediate symptoms and the underlying biomechanical causes of chronic pain.”

Examples

contextual

“After the surgery, the patient began a six-week course of physiotherapy to regain full mobility in her knee.”

complex

“Modern physiotherapy often integrates manual therapy with evidence-based exercise programs to address both the immediate symptoms and the underlying biomechanical causes of chronic pain.”

Real-World Examples

“Physiotherapy can be useful, while others may benefit from gentle exercise like swimming.”
BBC News · 27 Aug 2026
“During one heatwave, he cancelled physiotherapy and missed giving evidence to the Covid Inquiry because travelling became unsafe.”
BBC News · 11 Aug 2026

Etymology

From physio- + therapy.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/physiotherapy

English Reference