The Chinese word 理疗 (lǐliáo), meaning "physiotherapy" or "physical therapy," is a compound formed by combining two meaningful characters: 理 (lǐ), which in this context conveys the idea of "managing," "regulating," or "treating according to principle," and 疗 (liáo), which means "to treat" or "therapy." Together, they create a term that literally suggests "principle-based treatment" or "regulated therapy," specifically referring to the therapeutic use of physical agents like exercise, heat, or massage to rehabilitate injuries or alleviate pain, reflecting a logical and systematic approach to healing.