Global Trends and Emerging Gaps in Physiotherapy: A Scientometric Analysis with VOSviewer and InCites (2018-2023)

Abstract

Background:
Research in physiotherapy has experienced sustained growth in recent years. However, thematic, structural, and epistemic gaps persist, limiting its comprehensive and equitable development. This study analyzes the thematic, geographic, and collaborative configuration of global scientific production in physiotherapy.

Methods:
A scientometric and bibliometric analysis was conducted on 26,518 original articles indexed in Web of Science between 2018 and 2023. VOSviewer and InCites tools were used to examine keyword co-occurrence, institutional collaboration, geographic distribution, and funding sources. A specific thesaurus, fractional counting, and a minimum threshold of 10 occurrences were applied to consolidate terms and reduce terminological dispersion.

Results:
Five main clusters were identified: pain management and manual therapy; cardiac rehabilitation; the interrelationship between mental health and health education; post-stroke rehabilitation; and respiratory physiotherapy in intensive care. Scientific output is concentrated in Global North countries, with Brazil leading in Latin America. Thematic gaps were observed in the incorporation of emerging technologies, biopsychosocial approaches, and the integration of social determinants of health. Topics such as long COVID and physiotherapy in mental health remain underrepresented. There is also low editorial visibility of Spanish-speaking Latin American countries in high-impact databases.

Conclusions:
This study provides a critical characterization of recent research in physiotherapy, identifying both consolidated areas and emerging gaps. The findings highlight the need to promote more inclusive international collaborations, strengthen regional editorial networks, and expand the approach to interdisciplinary dimensions that are still underexplored in the field.