On 8 September, World Physiotherapy Day celebrates the contribution physiotherapists make to improving health, movement, and quality of life across the globe. This year's celebration follows a significant milestone for the Australian profession. On 14 August, physiotherapists celebrated 50 years of being recognised as first-contact practitioners, allowing patients to seek physiotherapy care directly without first seeing a doctor. This reflects 50 years of independent clinical practice and professional judgement.

Within the Australian Army, the physiotherapy profession has also undergone a remarkable transformation. Twenty years ago, the Army employed only six full-time physiotherapy officers. Although physiotherapists have a proud history of deployment and service dating back to the First World War, their small numbers meant their contribution and influence was not always fully recognised. The role military physiotherapists have played in shaping the modern profession is not widely known, despite their innovations and clinical expertise contributing significantly to many practices that are now considered standard.

Over the past two decades, Army physiotherapy officers have evolved from being viewed primarily as rehabilitation clinicians to becoming integral contributors to force generation, injury prevention, and operational readiness. While physiotherapists have always been uniquely positioned to provide early assessment and intervention, whether on operations, during training, or in the field; their association with the "rehabilitation brick" has often overshadowed the breadth of their expertise.

The perception of physiotherapists as clinicians who simply "fix injuries" has underestimated their broader contribution to preserving capability. Army physiotherapists are increasingly recognised as leaders in injury prevention, human performance, health surveillance and force health protection, and supporting commanders to optimise the health and readiness of their workforce before injury occurs.

A Growing Profession within Army

Today, there are more than 20 uniformed SERCAT 7 physiotherapy officers, with many more reservists providing valuable contributions to not only Army but across Defence. Regardless of service category, uniformed physios are working across Army, Joint Health Command and Defence in clinical, educational, research, and leadership roles.

This growth reflects increasing recognition that physiotherapists contribute far beyond just a treatment or ‘post-injury’ rehabilitation function. They play an essential role in keeping soldiers healthy, maintaining operational capability, and enabling the Army to generate a ready and resilient force.

From Treatment to Prevention and Performance

Historically, success in physiotherapy has been measured by its ability to help injured soldiers recover, rehabilitate, and resume their roles. Today, Army physiotherapists and commanders alike are increasingly asking: How do we prevent injuries before they occur? This shift mirrors broader changes across Defence toward prevention, readiness and force health protection from a physical health perspective.

Rather than waiting for soldiers to present to a clinic, uniformed physiotherapists now work proactively alongside commanders, physical training instructors, civilian Defence physios, and multidisciplinary teams including psychologists to identify injury trends, optimise training, and reduce preventable injuries.

It is acknowledged that military training is inherently risky business, and a level of risk must be accepted.

New physiotherapy officer positions within Army Aviation at Aviation Training Centre and HQ 16 Aviation Brigade this year have also proven invaluable, acknowledging the unique nature of duties for Army Aviators and support staff and the different exposures and risk factors associated with flying.

Physiotherapists Embedded with the Force

One of the most significant developments has been the introduction of Force Health Protection (FHP) Physiotherapists embedded within Army units. While the Army has moved away from the Regimental Aid Post (RAP) model, demand for command advice on health and performance matters has been achieved with an integrated model, like the Point of Need Care Pilot. Just like Combat Brigades have Senior Health Officers and Senior Medical Officers who provide advice and planning rather than one on one treatment, FHP physiotherapists provide command advice and population level support.

Working alongside commanders and training staff, these physiotherapists will use health surveillance data to identify emerging injury trends, advise on training design, and implement evidence-informed injury prevention strategies, such as education on health behaviours and improving health literacy. Their role extends well beyond clinical care. They support commanders to balance the demands of preparing soldiers for combat with maintaining a healthy and deployable workforce.

In 2027, new physiotherapy officer positions are being established across Army. This embedded model recognises that injury prevention is most effective when clinicians understand the operational environment and work alongside those responsible for generating capability.

Using Data to Preserve and Improve Capability

Defence and Army continue to acknowledge the importance of data-informed decision-making, and Health is no different. The raising of the Force Health Protection Directorate in Joint Health Command and the development of a health surveillance capability, including the first lieutenant colonel physiotherapy position in the ADF, provides a valuable opportunity to standardise and provide appropriate governance around data capture and analysis in musculoskeletal injuries. Rather than focusing solely on individual patients, Defence physiotherapists (ADF, APS and contracted alike) can work with the epidemiologists, researchers and physiotherapists in JHC HQ trained in public health and data analytics to analyse injury patterns across units, training establishments, and cohorts to identify risks and trends. These insights can inform changes to physical conditioning, load carriage, recovery practices and training design, reducing injury burden while preserving operational effectiveness.

Research Driving Change

Army physiotherapists continue to make nationally and internationally recognised research contributions that directly influence military practice. Research undertaken within Defence has informed improvements to training, rehabilitation, nutrition, load carriage, and human performance. Importantly, this work ensures that clinical practice and injury prevention initiatives are grounded in evidence and translated into meaningful improvements for soldiers.

Army physiotherapy officers Captain Joanne Stannard and Major Ange Uphill have both in recent years completed PhDs – in military injury surveillance, and in nutrition, injury, and performance during Special Forces selection and reinforcement training cycles respectively.

MAJ Uphill’s work has directly influenced the approach to nutrition during selection, as well as a handbook to assist with candidates’ preparation. A Cove podcast from 2025 provides an excellent summary of some of the key findings of her research.

CAPT Stannard’s work has been used to inform the upcoming injury surveillance database from JHC and continues to provide impact to Defence, through a research project in Army recruits and Infantry trainees. This is a joint collaboration between Joint Health Command, Army, and academia. Over 2000 participants have been recruited to date, following members through the training continuum to identify injury risk factors that can inform prevention initiatives.

Looking Ahead: a collaborative and integrated approach

As the character of warfare evolves, so too must military healthcare. Future Army physiotherapists will increasingly work at the intersection of clinical practice, public health, data science, and human performance. They will continue to treat injured soldiers, but they will also shape policy, influence training systems, support commanders through health intelligence, and contribute to the development of a more resilient and ready Army.

From rehabilitation to readiness, Army physiotherapy has evolved into a profession dedicated to one purpose: keeping soldiers fit to fight.