Education on orthopedic manipulative physical therapy in Graduate School of Tokyo Metropolitan University

Abstract

Tokyo Metropolitan University has been offering postgraduate education based on the standards set by the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) since it established the International Manipulative Physical Therapy Course in October 2017. The International Manipulative Physical Therapy Course is a two-year course, and two classes are delivered between 18:00 and 20:10 on weekdays. The curriculum is designed to teach students theoretical knowledge including the history and general theory of manipulative physical therapy, image assessment, evidence-based medicine, evidencebased physical therapy, clinical reasoning, and practical skills including joint mobilization, manipulation, soft tissue mobilization, nerve mobilization, and motor control training. In addition, the course offers many offcampus clinical training programs and research subjects for a master’s degree thesis. A feature of this course is that it will allow graduates to become an Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy (OMPT) at an institution recognized by the IFOMPT as a training institute for the development of OMPT in the future, in addition to obtaining a master’s degree. However, students need to understand that they have to keep learning to acquire knowledge and techniques because the knowledge and techniques they have at the time of graduation are fundamentals.