OMT España

Press conference for the presentation of the 1st OMT-Spain Congress

On Friday morning in the auditorium, in addition to the international ECE Meeting, a press conference was held for the presentation of the 1st OMT-Spain First National Congress.

The event was presented by, Freddy Kaltenborn, IFOMPT´s founder, Olaf Evjenth, Annalie Basson, IFOMPT´s Chairwoman, José Miguel Tricás, OMT-Spain association´s chairman and OMT-Spain First National Congress´ Organizing Committee´s chairman and Elena Estébanez, OMT-Spain associations´s secretary and Scientific Committee´s chairwoman.

Elena Estébanez was the first to take the floor to present the scientific program, consisting of 19 lectures and 16 communications over five sessions. She also reported the quality of the 22 speakers noting that 11 of them were foreigners, and stressed the importance of the motto of the conference, "Hands on: from the scientific evidence to the manual treatment in Physiotherapy" because it will allow the patient with neuromuscleskeletal dysfunctions take advantage of the progress done in the clinical practice of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy.

Then IFOMPT´s Chairwoman Annalie Basson told the media what the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy is. Professor Annalie Basson noted that IFOMPT is an interest subgroup of the WCPT which is formed by 22 member organizations which meet the standards for the formative excellence.

Professor Freddy Kaltenborn noted that the holding of the First Congress of OMT in Spain meant a return to the roots of IFOMPT since in the year 1973 in the Canary Islands, a group of doctors and physiotherapists, including Freddy Kaltenborn, made the first exam on Orthopaedic Manual Therapy (OMT). This allowed a year later, in Montreal (Canada), the creation of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manual / Manipulative Physical Therapy.

Then Olaf Evjenth stressed the importance of evaluation in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy, in order to carry out a specific treatment when physical therapy intervention is indication.

At the question time Dr. Tricás and Prof. Estébanez responded to questions raised by the journalists. Dr. Tricás said that there are a large number of therapists trained in OMT prepared to meet the health care needs, both on public and private cares, to provide citizens with high quality physical therapy. he also recalled the need for a change in the health care system. This change would allow the presence of the physical therapists in all fields of health care (emergency, rheumatology, sports, pediactrics...) through a more human an economical assistance.

Elena Estébanez concluded the session by making the media know the interest and enthusiasm, already shown to IFOMPT´s executive committee´s chairwoman, to submit the bid to host the 2016 IFOMPT´s World Congress in Zaragoza.