This post was inspired by any chats that I have had with many patients and people I have come across in gyms, sports fields and offices. Often when seeing someone in pain, I like to talk to them about it. Upon discussing things with these people, I am sometimes shocked to hear them then explain “Ah, I have tried everything… physio doesn’t work for me”.
At first, I was accepting of this – each to their own…right? But then, as I became a more confident practitioner, I began to ask these people what they meant by that. I was blown away to hear so many of these people shared the same answer! “Oh you know.. the massage and heat pack doesn’t work. Sometimes that electrical machine makes me feel better but I don’t think it lasts for long”. If you take just one thing out of this entire blog, let it be this. THAT IS NOT PHYSIO.
Physiotherapy is a clinical health science that aims to restore movement and function. Physios are experts in the musculoskeletal system and movement. Physios go through huge amounts of training in anatomy, treatment techniques and exercise techniques in order to rehabilitate an injury from start to finish.
Unfortunately there are good and bad people in every industry, and healthcare providers are not exempt from this. I am exceptionally proud of my discipline of healthcare, but am not overly excited when I hear that practitioners are still using lazy modalities with no scientific validation, or seeing two patients at once to ^^ $$.
There is no one size fits all with anything. However, It is so important that we, as health professionals provide you, our patients with the best value care. High value care to me, involves myself, and other physios, firstly setting goals with our patients. This is best done by talking to you, our patients! That is why you first session takes a while longer than others. We need to get to know you, where you have been, what you have done and what you want to do!
Once goals are set, it is crucial that the right treatment techniques are picked for you. This can range from Mckenzie type treatment, Mulligan mobilisations, ART, Dry needling, joint manipulations…. the list goes on. How do we know if these work? We make goals… and we meet them in a timely manner!
So; the TL;DR for this.
High value health care IS NOT: having a 10 minute consultation with a practitioner to ‘crack your joints’ and to “return every week for the next 3 months with a ‘75% chance that you will be better after this”
Nor is it having a heat pack put on you with some electrodes tickling the skin for 25 minutes.
It also IS NOT having a standardised exercise sheet given to you without proper demonstration of your exercises; ie, “3 sets of 10 using this red band”
HIGH VALUE CARE IS:
– Having an individualised assessment, making goals with your healthcare practitioner and MEETING THEM! Having a combination of manual therapy techniques that make a difference to how you feel, and having exercises prescribed to you that are relevant to your condition. Having those exercises demonstrated to you, and having the ability to ask your healthcare practitioner questions!
I am so proud of the amount of effort we put in to every patient here at A FISIO. It is why we do what we do, and as a result, we see fantastic outcomes with our patients meeting their goals. So, to all those who Have tried physio without success, I urge you to give it another go.
