The official CPSL website was launched during the event

CPSL President Jaliya Uduwella with other officials at the workshop

Participants at the CPSL workshop

A workshop on the Assessment and Treatment of Mechanical Dysfunction in the Sacroiliac Joint, organised by the College of Physiotherapists Sri Lanka (CPSL) was held at the new auditorium of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH), Colombo recently.  

Professor (Dr) Hans Van der Wall of Notre Dame University, Sydney,  Australia was the resource person for the workshop.

The workshop was preceded by a brief inauguration ceremony. The superintendents of physiotherapy Shanika Somaweera and Arosha Jayawardene of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka were present as the guests of honour to grace the inauguration. 

 
Jaliya Uduwella, CPSL President and the Superintendent of Physiotherapy of the LRH in his address thanked  Professor Hans for his generosity and willingness to support physiotherapy professionals in Sri Lanka. 
He said that the workshop marks the beginning of a series of events to be held to commemorate the World Physiotherapy Day to be held on September 8 with a focus on Low Back Pain (LBP) and the role of physiotherapy in its management and prevention.

Professor Van der Wall in his speech pointed out that LBP is the leading cause of disability globally and 619 million people experienced LBP in 2020, that is 1 in 13 people. LBP can be experienced at any age, and almost everyone will experience it at some time in their lives. 

“Physiotherapists can provide expert advice, guidance, and treatment for LBP. They will help to improve the overall health and well-being of the patients with LBP  while reducing the chances of future episodes” he added.
 He emphasised the need for a proper diagnosis through an appropriate assessment for an efficient physiotherapy treatment plan.

The workshop largely focused on introducing modern assessment tools and physiotherapy interventions related to mechanical lower back pains to the participants.

The official Website of the College of Physiotherapists Sri Lanka was also launched during the event. Participants expressing their views at the end of the session said that they are more confident with updated knowledge and skills in assessing and treating patients with mechanical back pains and they would surely provide better care for needy people. Over 100 physiotherapists participated in the programme.

 CPSL officials, Sanjeewa Thunpaththu (Secretary), Iranga Althge (Treasurer), and Dinithi Perera were also present at the event.