In the August entry, we are going to put aside the pathologies and treatments that we normally see on the blog and we will focus on the figure of the physiotherapist. Perhaps you have ever wondered what you have to do to be a good physical therapy. If you have, in this post we will see a few tips to be able to be.

Studies and training

The first step to being a good physical therapist is studying. We must always go to the consultation of a qualified physiotherapist (avoid those without degrees, it is professional intrusion) and who is duly registered since to practice as a physiotherapist it is mandatory to be registered. If you ask your physiotherapist for his collegiate number, he will provide it without problem and you will be able to verify that he meets the requirements to exercise physiotherapy. For your knowledge, the physiotherapist is recognized as a healthcare professional.

Once the title is obtained, continuous training will be important, since it is necessary to know the different techniques and specialties that make up the world of physiotherapy. From online courses to masters and postgraduates, there are endless possibilities for professional knowledge to be as broad as possible. The handicap of training is the cost involved as it involves investing significant amounts of money, so it is possible that you have to sacrifice some hobbies or vacations.

Once trained, it will be necessary to apply this knowledge to daily practice with patients. Thanks to the training we will have more tools and the treatment approach will be much deeper.

One of the best known conflicts in the world of physiotherapy is treatment under scientific evidence. Sometimes, we will find treatments that have little scientific evidence (their validity as a treatment has not been proven) but that works for many patients, so we will have to weigh the possibility of training in techniques that, at a scientific level, do not clarify their effectiveness.

One of the first things you learn in the race is that the physical therapist treats people, not diseases. Because of this we will have to know how to listen and treat the patient with respect. On many occasions, the patient also sees the physiotherapist as a confidant and not only as the person who "takes away the pain", so everything that the patient tells us during the session must be treated with respect and we must protect their privacy.

Professionalism

Another tip to be a good physical therapist is to be a good professional. That is, we must know what our limits are as physical therapists and what our training is. If we are not able to treat a patient or the proposed treatments have not been positive, we can try to ask a colleague for advice (without this posing a problem as a professional) and if we still cannot find the appropriate treatment, we must refer the patient to another physiotherapist who can help the patient.

Today, many physiotherapists start their own business and having to carry out their own practice, they can fall into the error of trying to prolong the treatments with the economic purpose as the main one. With this, we not only harm the patient, but in the long run it will end up harming us as professionals.

Be in a good form

This point may seem that it is not important, but a physiotherapist can spend a working day almost without sitting, making force or important movements during the treatment of patients (it is not the same to mobilize a 50kg person than an 80kg person), Therefore, apart from treating patients, we also have to treat ourselves, that is , we must not forget our body since a small injury can prevent us from exercising our profession in optimal conditions.

That is why it is important that we know how to listen to our body, so we will be prepared to minimize any warning sign.

 Positive attitude and empathy

Empathy will help us to understand our patients and know their problems and thus we can propose a treatment more tailored to their needs. We must know how to listen to our patients and face the treatment with the necessary energy to be able to convey to the patient our desire to help him improve his condition. If the patient is aware of our attitude towards him, it is easier for him to adapt to the treatment and trust the physiotherapist.

Proactivity

Many times the physiotherapist is related to the person who puts on the heating device, the currents and little else. As a good physiotherapist, we must treat the patient with the most appropriate techniques, even if they involve more effort: mobilizations, stretching, explanation of active exercises, and proposal of exercises to perform at home ... the patient must verify that our work goes beyond the use of devices.

Well, today we have seen some tips to be a good physiotherapist; the important thing is to give the better of each one in the day to day to become a good professional. What do you think of these tips? Would you add any more?