On 4 and 5 November 2025, starting at 12:00 p.m., the 11^th International Scientific and Professional Conference “Physiotherapy in Sport, Recreation and Wellness” was held at Opus Arena in Osijek. The conference was organized in cooperation between the University of Applied Sciences “Lavoslav Ružička” in Vukovar, the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU), UCAM Catholic University of Murcia, and Osijek Football Club.

It was a great honor to host invited speakers, foremost Academician Prof. Vida Demarin, MD, PhD, specialist in neuropsychiatry, who opened the conference with a lecture entitled “Brain Neuroplasticity in Health and Disease”. This was followed by two further invited lectures: “Under Pressure, Above Expectations!” by Stjepan Čurić, MD, specialist in orthopedics and traumatology, and “An Orthopedic Perspective on Sport, Recreation and Wellness: How to Identify Risky Movement Patterns in Recreational Football Players?” by Marko Zelenić, MD, specialist in orthopedics and traumatology. Through its partnerships and invited speakers, the University of Applied Sciences “Lavoslav Ružička” in Vukovar once again confirmed its position on the scientific and professional map of both Croatia and Europe.

The theme of this year’s conference, “Multidisciplinary Approaches in Physiotherapy and Healthcare for Healthy Aging”, was selected in line with global trends, the recommendations of the World Health Organization, and the need for an integrated approach to preserving the quality of life of older adults. Aging is a natural process that brings physiological, psychological, and social changes, and contemporary science shows that targeted interventions in physiotherapy, sport, recreation, and wellness can significantly contribute to maintaining functional abilities, preventing disease, and preserving independence and psychosocial well-being.

The conference brought together experts from various disciplines, including physiotherapists, kinesiologists, physicians, psychologists, and nutritionists, thereby promoting a holistic approach to research and the application of therapeutic and preventive programs. Multidisciplinarity is a key component of modern healthcare interventions, as aging affects all aspects of human health, from motor abilities and cardiovascular health to mental health and social exclusion. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all authors, lecturers, organizers, and partners whose contributions made the realization of this conference possible.

On the second day of the conference, sectional lectures were held at the University of Applied Sciences “Lavoslav Ružička” in Vukovar, with more than 100 authors participating and a total of 48 papers presented. As the organizers, we are extremely satisfied with the number of high-quality papers that stimulated discussion and the exchange of ideas, thereby fulfilling another of the conference’s objectives.

The quality of the conference was also recognized by the Croatian Chamber of Physiotherapists, the Croatian Medical Chamber, and the Chamber of Nurses, all of which awarded professional credits for participation in the conference.