23/01/2026
🔔 ICARE PUBLIC ADVISORY
Protect Your Health: Choose Licensed Physical Therapy Specialist, Choose ICARE !
As specialists in Manual and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy, we remind the public to exercise caution and discernment when seeking care for musculoskeletal pain, injury, or dysfunction—especially when treatment involves joint mobilization, manipulation, or pain-related therapeutic interventions.
We strongly advise the public NOT to seek care from unlicensed or unqualified individuals, including but not limited to:
Bone setters, whose practice is illegal in the Philippines as there is no government agency, PRC board, or regulatory body that recognizes, licenses, or accredits bone setting as a lawful healthcare profession
Hilot or traditional massage practitioners who perform joint manipulation or mobilization, which is prohibited by law as these acts are not part of their recognized scope of practice
Self-proclaimed chiropractors who are not licensed or recognized in the Philippines
Individuals claiming to be “physical therapists” without valid PRC licensure
Personal trainers or fitness coaches who use the title “PT,” imply they are Physical Therapists, or pose as licensed PTs
Personal trainers or fitness professionals who attempt to diagnose, treat, or manage musculoskeletal pain or injuries, which is outside their legal scope of practice
❗ Using the title “PT” without PRC licensure or performing manual manipulation without legal authority is misleading, unsafe, and places patients at serious risk, and may be punishable to the fullest extent of the law.
⚖️ What the Law Clearly States
🔹 Under Republic Act No. 5680, only PRC-licensed Physical Therapists are legally authorized to evaluate physical impairments and perform manual therapy, including joint mobilization and manipulation. These procedures require extensive professional education, advanced clinical reasoning, and strict adherence to safety and ethical standards.
🔹 While hilot and massage practitioners may provide comfort or wellness-based massage, manual manipulation, mobilization, diagnosis, and pain management for musculoskeletal conditions are not part of their lawful practice. Performing such acts constitutes illegal practice and may lead to serious injury, prolonged disability, or permanent harm.
🔹 Personal trainers and fitness professionals, while valuable in exercise instruction and conditioning, are not licensed healthcare professionals and are prohibited from diagnosing conditions, managing pain, performing manual therapy, or representing themselves as Physical Therapists.
🛡️ Why Choose ICARE
🔹 At ICARE Inopiquez-Cabrera Physical Rehabilitation Clinic, all manual therapy, mobilization, and manipulation are delivered exclusively by PRC-licensed Physical Therapists who are recognized by the Philippine Academy of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapists (PAOMPT) as specialist practitioners.
🔹 ICARE Physical Therapists continuously undergo post-professional and continuing education under PAOMPT-recognized postgraduate education providers, ensuring safe, current, and evidence-based practice aligned with international standards.
One such recognized provider is OMPT-SG:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/omptsg/
🔹 ICARE’s clinical practice is aligned with IFOMPT (International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists), a recognized specialist group under World Physiotherapy, ensuring care that meets international benchmarks for safety, competency, and ethics.
https://www.ifompt.org/About+IFOMPT/MO+-+PHILIPPINES.html
🔹 PAOMPT, a Member Organization of IFOMPT and the only recognized Special Interest Group of the Philippine Physical Therapy Association (PPTA) for Orthopaedic Manual and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy, recognizes practitioners who meet rigorous standards in education, clinical competence, and ethical practice.
https://www.facebook.com/GoPAOMPT
📌 For public guidance and transparency, patients may verify licensed specialists authorized to perform manual mobilization and manipulation in the Philippines through the official PAOMPT Specialist Directory:
👉 https://paompt.weeblysite.com/expert-specialist-directory
🚨 Your Safety Comes First
Musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction require proper assessment and evidence-based care.
When manual therapy is performed incorrectly or by unqualified individuals, it can result in serious injury, prolonged disability, or permanent harm.
Choose safety.
Choose evidence-based care.
Choose licensed Physical Therapists.
💙 Choose ICARE — For Your Care, ICARE.
