Dr. Naqeeb Khan PT, DPT, MSPT

27/11/2025

How Will AI Change the Physiotherapy Profession?

Take a deep breath. This topic sounds scary, but it’s also exciting. Let’s explore it realistically.

In the future, AI will reshape physiotherapy in ways many of us are only beginning to imagine

Virtual Physios may take online consultations and record patient history.
Documentation could be fully automated, no more long treatment notes.
Personalized exercise programs may be generated instantly by AI based on symptoms, goals, and reports (even though accuracy won’t always be perfect).
AI could analyze MRI/X ray reports faster than we do.
Smart robotic suits might guide patients through exercises, correcting form through vibration or feedback sensors.
Passive therapies like laser, ultrasound, TENS, and shockwave could be delivered by automated machines.

What AI cannot replace

While AI can prescribe exercises, it cannot understand pain the way humans feel it. It cannot provide empathy, emotional support, motivation, reassurance, or build a therapeutic alliance.

It cannot replace: Human Connection, Hands on care & palpation, Clinical reasoning based on subtle changes, Communication & patient counselling, Trust, empathy, motivation & behavioral coaching, Personalized rehab decision making beyond data, Real time adaptation when exercise worsens pain, Cultural understanding, patient beliefs & psychology

Remember, Modern physiotherapy was born after World War I, where PTs focus was to return injured soldiers and other effected population to return them to their beloved activities. Electrotherapy came later, and many still lack strong evidence. The future is not in machines treating symptoms, it's in human led rehab that transforms lives.

Conclusion

AI will not replace physiotherapists.
But physiotherapists who don’t adapt, may be replaced.

So the focus should shift from machines & modalities to what truly matters:
Communication, Clinical reasoning, Patient education, Exercise based rehab, Functional recovery, Human care & connection

Because rehab needs heart, not just hardware.

26/11/2025

I officially take back every post and argument I ever made against those tingly machines. I had no idea they were this effective, but only after becoming an employee. Turns out, the real magic of TENS is giving me a 15 minute break while I apply it on the patient. So yes, electrotherapy works great… for physiotherapists. Whether it actually works for patients? Still under investigation

06/10/2025

World Cerebral Palsy Day! A day to highlight the importance of early intervention and continuous care. Physiotherapy is central to CP management, focusing on improving muscle strength, posture, balance, and functional mobility through evidence based rehab. From early developmental exercises to advanced gait training and assistive technology support, physiotherapists help individuals with CP maximize their potential and enhance their quality of life.

02/10/2025

Took my Qualifications with me abroad, But Missing my colleagues, juniors and specially patients, their funny excuses, and the bond we built.

24/09/2025

A New Dawn for Healthcare in Pakistan!✨

The long wait is over, and the moment we've all been working towards is finally here. I am thrilled to share that the Allied Health Professionals Council (AHPC) of Pakistan has officially released the landmark "Scope of Practice for Physical Therapy." This is a transformative decision that empowers our profession and, most importantly, elevates the standard of patient care across the nation.

Here’s what this means for you and our profession:

✅ Independent Practice Fully Recognized: We are now legally recognized as autonomous practitioners. This means we can independently assess, diagnose, formulate treatment plans, and open our own private clinics and rehabilitation centers without requiring direct supervision.

✅ First Contact Practitioners: Physical Therapists are officially designated as primary healthcare providers. You can now consult us directly for your pain, movement, and rehabilitation needs without needing a referral from another doctor first, making quality care more accessible and efficient.

✅ "Dr." Prefix for DPT Professionals: The title "Dr." for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) qualified professionals has been formally endorsed by the AHPC and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), solidifying our academic and professional standing.

✅ Clear & Expanded Scope: The document clearly outlines what General PTs and specialized PTs (with post graduate qualifications) can do. This includes prescribing over the counter medications related to our treatment plans, recommending basic diagnostic tests (like X-rays), and using advanced techniques upon certified training.

This is more than just a policy, it's a commitment to better health for all Pakistanis. It ensures clarity, safety, and high quality standards in physical therapy care.

12/09/2025

"Acha Physical Therapist wo hain jiski handling achi ho" Is another wrong narrative among physical therapy community. A physical therapist's effectiveness should not solely rely on their manual skills or the use of their hands during treatment. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of a broader skill set, including knowledge, communication, patients education, exercises prescription, pain science, clinical reasoning, critical thinking and returning people to their beloved activities. Physical therapists should be valued for their ability to assess, educate, and create comprehensive treatment plans, recognizing that their impact goes beyond manual techniques. This perspective encourages a more holistic approach to patient care, acknowledging the diverse skills and expertise that contribute to successful rehabilitation.

09/09/2025

Seeing Pakistani physiotherapists, organizations, and institutes on social media celebrating WPT Day yesterday, I noticed that everyone celebrated in their own way. No one followed the official theme "Healthy Ageing" with a specific focus on preventing frailty and falls in older adults. If our own community is not aware of how PTs celebrate across the globe, how will we create awareness among the public? Wake up and move with the world.

07/09/2025

Today is and while there may be a day for everything, this one truly matters. Because physical therapy isn’t just about exercises or machines, it’s about restoring life, dignity, and independence.

In my career as a physical therapist, I’ve been blessed to witness moments that words can hardly capture:

✨ A stroke survivor taking their first unassisted steps and beginning to perform daily activities again.
✨ A child with cerebral palsy standing tall and walking with newfound confidence.
✨ A grandmother with bilateral knee replacements learning to get down on the floor to play with her grandchildren again.
✨ An ICU patient, after days of lying flat, sitting upright in a chair to enjoy a meal.
✨ An athlete making a comeback to the sport that defines their passion and identity.
✨ A patient with sciatica smiling after finally saying goodbye to that unbearable shooting pain.
✨ A man taking his first steps with a new prosthetic leg.
✨ A woman with frozen shoulder moving her arm freely again after months of stiffness.
✨ A vertigo patient completing obstacle courses so she could care for her sick husband safely.
✨ I’ve been a literal shoulder to cry on for patients in chronic pain
✨ Families sharing their joy because their loved ones can cook again, garden again, hike again

This post isn’t about me, it’s about the profession I’m proud to be part of. A profession that celebrates resilience, empowers recovery, and proves every single day that movement is medicine.

Happy to all my colleagues across the globe. Together, we change lives, one step, one stretch, one success story at a time.

19/08/2025

The biggest challenge as a new Physical Therapist in Saudi Arabia is that all my patients and colleagues speak Arabic and my entire vocabulary is just “Anta Habibi.” Can you feel me?

28/07/2025

If you've been wondering where my sarcasm and anti-pseudoscience posts disappeared. relax, I didn’t retire. Just moved out of Pak a few weeks ago and was busy on LinkedIn instead of scrolling FB. But don’t worry, I’m back, and now ready to expose pseudosciences on an international level. 😉

24/06/2025

Why I choose Physical therapy as a career! 😒😊

Back In 2012, when I was a FSC student, something unexpected happened to my health. I started having a severe low back pain, it didn't seem serious at start, but that slowly radiating to my left leg and worsening within a few weeks. I tried many medications that prescribed by local doctors, but pain wasn't getting better, and after an MRI advised by orthopedic surgeon, it turned out to be a big problem- L4-L5 disc prolapse. First time I heard the word sciatica and it worse my college years difficult. 🤕
After that, I went through a lot of visits to orthopedic surgeons, Neurosurgeons, Even consulted every famous doctor in lahore, islamabad, Peshawar, multan and travelled to others cities whenever I heard about doctor treats sciatica, tried different medicines and even epidural steroid injection, I visited quacks as well, But despite all that effort, I couldn't find relief. I was experiencing severe and continues pain, and it wasn't improving.
As a whole year passed, all the doctors recommended that surgery was the only option to get rid of the pain. My family and friends were also in favor of surgeon knife. The thought of surgery scared me a lot, I even had a phobia of the word surgery, I disliked those who recommended it. At that time, I feared I might become paralyzed, which is why I didn't want to undergo surgery. Unfortunately, None of the doctors whom I consulted took the time to explain my condition, educate, encourage me or talk about other conservative management.
It's 2014, Me and sciatic pain still living together. I was still dealing with severe pain while trying to go to college. I didn't want surgery, so I consulted another orthopedic surgeon at famous trust hospital in Lahore. Luckily, this young doctor was kind and understanding (Mane onko saaf keh dia mane surgery nahi krwani chahe koch bhi ho jaye) He smiled and said, You're a Pathan, and Pathans aren't afraid of small things like surgery. I told him that I was even afraid of the word surgery. He prescribed medicine and referred me to consult an exercise doctor (He mean physiotherapist) in our physiotherapy department, room number 13 or 23 (exactly yaad nahi hai) and i met a physiotherapist. Even though he didn't do proper assessment, he stretch my muscles and perform few exercises he gave me a list of 18 exercises to do. It seemed like a lot, but it gave me hope. (I recommend maximum of 5-6 exercises for HEP). BTW, He explained and told me I didn't to have surgery, At first, I wasn't sure, but I started doing the exercises, and the pain started gradually going away in 6-8 weeks. I haven't visited the physiotherapist again, nor has the physiotherapist told me to come for regular sessions. When I returned home, there was no physiotherapist in our area but continue my home exercises plan.
By 2015, I was pain free ALHAMDULILLAH 😍 Returned back to playing sports. Feeling changed by this experience, I decided to learn more about physical therapy. In October 2015, I joined a program Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). I wanted to help others without unnecessary surgeries and medications.

Looking back at that tough time, I remember a Famous Neurosurgeon somewhere in a city where I'm practicing now, said me "Surgery is your only option" a scary decision between the operating table and a life of pain. But today, I'm not only pain free without this f**"k Laminectomy, but I'm also helping others with sciatica, Have treated many patients that surgery was recommended by same surgeon mentioned above. Now, whenever a patient with sciatica consults me, I can feel their pain because I lived with it for a few years.

A big shoutout to all the physiotherapists out there who not only treat and helping people in recovery but also provide hope, motivation, encouragement, and aid in their return to beloved activities.

Dr. Naqeeb Khan PT, DPT, MSPT

18/06/2025

There is a special organization of physiotherapists who treat everything with heat, TENS, ultrasound, cupping, IR, SWD, MFR and of course TheraGun. If you walked in with a broken heart, they’d probably put tingling thing and a hot pack on your chest and say, 6 times a week, 12 sessions.