---

---

What is the difference between getting registered with your state physiotherapy council and with a physiotherapists’ association?

Quite many, but putting five of the vital ones here:

[A] State’s physiotherapy council is a government body. A physiotherapists’ association is a legally registered mutual society of Physiotherapists and not a government body.

[B] In a state, there can be only one state council, but there can be more than one association, depending upon the later’s core focus. E.g. there can be an association of orthopaedic physiotherapists, or there can be an association, which aims to reinforce the legal standards of practice only.

[C] A degree, offered by a UGC recognized university, is just a qualification. It doesn’t give you the right to practice physiotherapy.

(a) Registration with the state’s council gives you the legal ‘license’ to practice, with compulsory dos and don’ts.
(b) Registration with a physiotherapists’ association doesn’t give you a license or the right to practice, but surely gets you ‘endorsed’ for your ‘legal eligibilities’ as a Physiotherapy practitioner. In the indian scenario, where the central and most of the states’ councils are yet to be formed, or are yet to become functional, this is how the profession has survived and strengthened through the past few decades in the country.

Remember, the ‘legal and impact stature’ of the association you are registering with, matters. Getting registered with a lousy association can make you lose money and miss out on the advantages mentioned further below. Good associations go on to the length of verifying the qualifications and other needful documents of the physiotherapists applying for registration.

[D] Wherever the state’s council is functional, practicing without its registration is a legal offense. Practicing without an association’s membership is not illegal, but leaves you devoid of many advantages, which are not within the legal or functional framework of the council, like:

1. You miss to realize the larger picture of your values, potentials and responsibilities as being part of a pool of specialists.

2. An association consistently works to improvise the ethical and clinical standards of practice. You will simply miss the running train of updates.

3. Your association recognizes you for your skills and leadership abilities, which can help the whole pool to upgrade. It will frequently facilitate you and provide you appropriate avenues and opportunities for the same.

4. If you wish to hear your voice to be heard, pertaining to any professional injustice done to you, or against anyone’s malpractice demeaning the profession, or to bring attention to any deficit within the legal systems of practice within the state, then your physiotherapy association will appropriately add strength to your cause.

[E] In governance and legal matters, the state government’s machinery is legally bound to respond to state council’s reports and initiatives, but not to physiotherapy associations’ petitions, reports and applications. The associations however, can work in-tune with the state’s council, to get the needfuls done efficiently.

To conclude:

(1) If your state has a functional council, do register with it, or renew your registration as per its guidelines. In all matters crossing your mind, like salary standardizations, curbing of quackery etc., check with your physiotherapy association’s/associations’ ongoing initiatives with the professional pool and with the council and contribute your efforts for the same.

(2) If your state doesn’t have a council, join hands with your physiotherapy association, to reinforce the efforts for the one to be made.

(3) Check the purpose, history, functioning and impact of the various physiotherapy associations and choose which ones to enrol for.

The author is available for observations and comments on this post on Linkedin.