Physios tend to assume that everyone knows what a physio does, but we often get reminded that a lot of people don’t know!
If you wanted to boil down the essence of physiotherapy it would be finding solutions to help people live a better life.
Physiotherapy is actually a very broad occupation, and includes quite a few sub-specialties.
It’s not just about musculoskeletal work, or working with sporting teams, thought that is the kind of work that most people associate with physiotherapy.
There are physios that work in neurology, paediatrics, ICU units, burns, occupational health, mental health, even animal physiotherapy and much more!
Adelaide West Physio and Pilates is mostly about musculoskeletal physiotherapy, but what does that mean?
Physio – more than just muscles!
It is still common for people to assume that physios ‘just look after muscles’, and you need to go elsewhere for a ‘joint’ problem. If that is you, you are not on your own.
However, a physio’s scope is much broader than just muscles!
Physios have expertise with all elements of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. That includes muscles, joints, nerves, and the way they work together to allow us to move with freedom.
The modern physio is also skilled at exercise prescription and conditioning.
These skills are essential if you need to help someone rehabilitate following a tendon problem, a muscle problem, an operation … actually almost any problem that you need full recovery!
Our MAIN FOCUS at Adelaide West Physio and Pilates is on helping people with painful musculoskeletal problems.
This includes problems of the spine or limbs, acute or longstanding problems, complex pain problems, and sporting injuries.
We also have an interest in balance and falls prevention, and helping people to begin or maintain exercise for their health.
Physios and persistent pain
Our physios at Adelaide West are also interested with the ins and outs of pain – how it works in the human body, how it can go seem to go wrong.
We can help you if you have a persistent pain problems that don’t respond to ‘normal’ treatments.
Sometimes the ‘regular’ treatments that are aimed at muscles or joints like mobilisation or manipulation/adjustment just don’t work with persistent pain.
Physiotherapy has moved beyond purely physical methods to help. There is a better understanding of the importance of helping people to understand their problem better, and giving people the correct information to allow them to improve better and more completely and ultimately become independent of treatment where possible.
Evidence-based physio
Physiotherapy is a profession where, like medicine, there is an emphasis on evidence-based assessment and treatment. What that means is the treatments that you receive are not based on shaky pseudoscience and ‘sciencey’ jargon or explanations.
In our clinic, you won’t find us using the terms ‘holistic’ or ‘wellness’ – these are marketing jargon.
Using the word holistic doesn’t mean that the treatment actually is taking into account the whole person’s situation.
Wellness doesn’t automatically mean that the treatment is good or wholesome. What’s wrong with the term ‘health’?
Instead, we think in terms of a biopsychosocial approach or ‘whole person approach’. How is that different? It means that we recognise that a simple problem can have consequences on other parts of someone’s body and someone’s life.
A biopsychosocial approach is current best practice in health care, and especially required in helping deal with persistent pain problems.