Pragmatism, phenomenology, and the concept of health in physiotherapy

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of health in physiotherapy through the perspectives of pragmatism and phenomenology. I argue that physiotherapy – whose goals often extend beyond curing disease to promoting autonomy, functionality, and quality of life – requires a concept of health that reflects its rehabilitative orientation. To make sense of this orientation, I turn to the phenomenology of illness and introduce the notion of health within illness, which acknowledges the possibility of living well despite chronic or incurable conditions. I then employ a pragmatic framework to justify the relevance of this concept for clinical practice, while also considering the interrelations between the two philosophical approaches. I suggest that health within illness offers physiotherapy a more adequate guiding notion, reframing care as enabling meaningful engagement with the world in the presence of illness or disability.