The Actual State of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Education in Physical Therapy Schools in Japan

抄録

[Purpose] In this paper we examine the changes in and the actual state of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) education in physical therapy (PT) training schools in the 2003 and 2008 academic years. [Subjects and Methods] The questionnaire was sent to 163 schools in 2003 and 233 schools in 2008. The contents of PNF course were compared between the two surveys. [Results] PNF courses were present in 90.7% of PT schools in 2003 and 87.7% in 2008. In 2008, it was a compulsory subject in 81.0% of PT schools. There has been an increase in the number of courses entitled "PNF" or similar. In terms of content, there was a trend toward a decrease in schools teaching special techniques and clinical application. [Conclusion] There is variation in PNF course hours and course content across PT schools, and it appears that graduates do not attain the same level of knowledge and technique through their college education. Therefore, postgraduate education seems desirable, not only in PNF, but also in activities in various branches of PT.