As musculoskeletal health and rehabilitation take on a greater role across healthcare, recent stories have highlighted how physiotherapy, osteopathy, and manual therapy are driving change in prevention, recovery, and long-term wellbeing. Here’s a roundup of the key updates making an impact this month. 

Rehab Awareness Week 2025 shines a spotlight on recovery 
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy’s Rehab Awareness Week campaign has showcased powerful stories of how rehabilitation transforms lives. By raising public awareness and policy visibility, the initiative puts rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and manual therapy firmly on the agenda, underlining the sector’s central role in recovery journeys. 

Check out the full report here 

Prehabilitation in cancer care gains momentum 
Physiotherapists are calling for rehabilitation and prehabilitation to be embedded in the national cancer plan. With mounting evidence for the benefits of early interventions, the profession is pushing for a stronger role in cancer care pathways. For manual therapy practitioners, this represents a growing opportunity to support patients’ health before, during, and after treatment. 

Check out the full report here 

Supporting disabled students in osteopathy 
The General Osteopathic Council has published updated guidance to support students with disabilities who are training in osteopathy. This step advances inclusivity in education and ensures that the profession is accessible to a more diverse range of practitioners. Training providers will need to consider how best to align with the guidance and create supportive pathways into practice. 

Check out the full report here 

First CSEM Board announced 
The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) and the British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) have confirmed the first elected Board of Trustees for the College of Sport, Exercise and Musculoskeletal Medicine (CSEM). This new leadership body will play a pivotal role in shaping regulation, standards, and direction across SEM, with implications for professional identity and governance in musculoskeletal care. 

Check out the full report here 

Elite athletes and osteoarthritis risk 
New research indicates that Olympic athletes face a heightened risk of developing osteoarthritis later in life. This finding reinforces the need for long-term musculoskeletal health strategies, not only to support elite athletes after their careers but also to inform wider practice on prevention and management of joint conditions. Manual therapy professionals are well placed to lead in this area. 

Check out the full report here 

World Osteoporosis Day approaching 
World Osteoporosis Day will be marked on 20 October, drawing attention to bone health, prevention, and treatment on a global scale. For physiotherapists, osteopaths, and manual therapy practitioners, it provides a timely opportunity to highlight the role of their work in supporting mobility, reducing fracture risk, and improving quality of life for those affected. 

Check out the full report here