Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation “Current Issues of Physical Therapy and Prospects for the Development of Rehabilitation in Modern Conditions” at TNMU
On November 6–7, 2025, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University hosted the scientific and practical conference with international participation “Current Issues of Physical Therapy and Prospects for the Development of Rehabilitation in Modern Conditions,” which was held online. The event was organized by the staff of the Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Education of TNMU.
Leading rehabilitation specialists from various regions of Ukraine, as well as scientists and practitioners from Poland, Canada, and the USA, took part in the conference. A number of scientific presentations and 58 poster reports were presented.
On behalf of the administration of TNMU, Vice-Rector for Research, Professor Ivan Klishch, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.
Professor Klishch emphasized the relevance of the conference theme, its importance for TNMU, and the significance of such an event in the current circumstances. He noted that physical therapy today holds a leading position in healthcare, especially during the war in Ukraine. Therefore, physical and rehabilitation medicine physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, clinical psychologists, social workers, and other specialists of multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams must consolidate their efforts to improve new rehabilitation programs and algorithms for providing assistance to the population and servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Next, Professor Dariia Popovych, Head of the Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Education of TNMU, welcomed the participants and expressed gratitude to all presenters from various Ukrainian and foreign universities for sharing their experience and knowledge.
“Given the relevance of the issues discussed during this conference, I am convinced that professional presentations, discussions, and scientific dialogues will contribute to the development of Ukrainian science and to the improvement of both the educational process in training multidisciplinary rehabilitation specialists and the practical provision of rehabilitation services at various levels of medical care in Ukraine,” said Professor Popovych.
The plenary session of the conference began on November 6, 2025, under the chairmanship of Professor Ivan Klishch, Professor Dariia Popovych, Associate Professor Nataliia Davybyda, Associate Professor Anastasiia Bai, and Assistant Ulyana Hevko.
Opening the session, Professor Popovych delivered a presentation titled “Digital Transformation and Evidence-Based Practice: Priorities of Research and Educational Activities at the Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Education of TNMU.”
Professor Oleksandr Vladymyrov, Head of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Physical Therapy, and Sports Medicine at Shupyk National University of Health of Ukraine, Fellow of the European Board of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, and National FRM Manager for Ukraine, presented a report on “The State of the Rehabilitation Medicine System at the Present Stage: Problems and Solutions.”
Associate Professor Tetiana Baryshok (Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Khortytsia National Academy) delivered a report titled “Development of Rehabilitation Care in Ukraine 2019–2025.”
Mykola Romanyshyn, physical therapist and associate professor at the Department of Therapy and Rehabilitation of the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine, presented “The Gap between Assessment and Intervention: Analysis of Common Mistakes in Physical Therapy Practice.”
Про особливості підходу до фізичних навантажень при кардіологічній патології доповіла представниця Буковинського державного медичного університету Оксана Полянська.
Nataliia Vladymyrova (Shupyk National University of Health of Ukraine) spoke about “The Role of Rehabilitation Medicine in the Management of Women’s Health after Breast Cancer Treatment.”
Professor Olha Yushkovska (Odesa National Medical University) delivered an engaging report titled “The Use of Adaptive Hockey in the Rehabilitation of Veterans with Lower Limb Amputations.”
Oksana Polianska (Bukovinian State Medical University) discussed “Specific Approaches to Physical Exercise in Patients with Cardiac Pathology.”
Particularly interesting were the presentations of international colleagues, including “Improving Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Care for Patients with Limb Loss in Ukraine” by Dr. Peter Derkach and Dr. Jerry Evans (Western Health Centre, Canada/USA).
Professor Monika Blaszczyzyn (Opole University, Poland) presented “Postural Muscle Activity in Wheelchair Fencers.”
A presentation on “Physical Activity in Children with Congenital Heart Defects” was delivered by a cardiologist from the Silesian Medical University in Katowice, Upper Silesian Children’s Health Centre (Poland).*
A team from the Polish Foundation for Helping Children in Zywiec — Anna Pawlak, Aneta Kutna, and Agnieszka Oshkovich — presented “Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) as a Tool in Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy to Improve the Effectiveness of Kinesiotherapy in Children and the Functions of the Articulatory Apparatus.”
Physical therapist Olha Levchuk (Pilates Studio, USA) gave a presentation titled “Pilates as a Method of Physical Therapy for Adults with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.”
On the second day of the conference (November 7, 2025), chaired by Professor Daria Popovych and the department’s staff, a series of professional and insightful reports were delivered, along with poster sessions from participating researchers.
Oleh Kachmar (Kozyavkin International Rehabilitation Clinic) presented the study “The Effect of Spinal Manipulation on Heart Rate Variability in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study.”
In total, 44 oral presentations and 14 poster reports were presented during the conference. Around 1,700 participants joined the YouTube live stream, demonstrating the high interest and relevance of the event.
Recordings of the sessions were available via the following links:
Day 2: https://youtu.be/C4b8EYGNrBk?si=5mpgs6S0DjbZokBa
Day 1: https://youtu.be/OzNc55hyKZ4?si=ixT4QdZFwcxm6Fjc
At the conclusion of the conference, Professor Daria Popovych, Head of the Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Education, expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of the organizing committee to all speakers and participants for their professional, meaningful, and productive contributions. She also thanked the Armed Forces of Ukraine and military medics who defend and save lives on the front lines.
It has already become a good tradition to donate the organizational fees collected during the annual international scientific and practical rehabilitation conference to support Ukrainian defenders. This year, a significant portion of the funds was once again directed to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
