Our Story

The initiative to develop an international society to represent the interests of the physical therapy profession in areas related to EPA began during a small informal meeting at the 13th International WCPT Congress held in Yokohama, Japan, in 1999.  

 

At the 15th International WCPT Congress (2007) held in Vancouver, a Focused Symposium (presented by Ah-Cheng Goh, Luther Kloth, David Baxter and Val Robertson) and a Network Meeting (chaired by Ah-Cheng Goh) provided the opportunity to examine the present status of EPA with regards to clinical practice, education and research.  The general consensus was that in order for EPA to remain relevant in today’s evidence-based practice environment, major changes are needed in the way we practice, in how we teach present and future users of EPA, and in the way we approach the evidence to justify its continued usage.  There was also general consensus amongst those present that going about this in isolation may not be the best way to move EPA forwards.  Discussions during the meetings focused on the need to form an International EPA Society, and also on exploring and proposing various models for bringing about these changes. 

On 8th and 9th February 2009, the inaugural International Society for Electrophysical Agents (ISEPA) Congress was held in Las Vegas, USA. The congress was jointly sponsored by the APTA Sections on Clinical Electrophysiology and Wound Management, and the Geriatric Section. At the ISEPA congress, Ah-Cheng Goh was elected as the foundation President and was tasked to obtain WCPT subgroup recognition for ISEPA.

 

During the 16th International WCPT Congress (2011) in Amsterdam, ISEPA was formally recognized as a WCPT subgroup and renamed as the International Society for Electrophysical Agents in Physical Therapy (ISEAPT). The 12 founding members of ISEAPT were Argentina, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Norway, Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and United States. Membership increased by four in 2015 (Japan, Kuwait, Indonesia, Spain) and by two in 2019 (Costa Rica, Israel). With the recent renaming convention of World Physiotherapy, ISEAPT is now the International Society for Electrophysical Agents in Physiotherapy (ISEAP).