Physical Therapy and Physiotherapy: What is the difference?

The answer, you may be shocked to learn, is that physical therapy and physiotherapy are exactly the same! There is, in fact, no difference between the two terms and each term can be used interchangeably. They are synonyms.

However, if you were pushed to make a distinction, there could – perhaps – be one small difference between them. And this different is primarily regionally based. In many parts of the world including Australia, Canada, and Europe the profession is known as physiotherapy. Here in the United States we call the profession physical therapy…with one occasional exception.