What is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is an allied health profession which is more often than not referred to as a technique or a skill; “Can you just do some physio on it…” is a phrase many of us will have heard and eye-rolled at throughout our careers.
In UK human medicine there is a minimum level 6 degree route of training where course delegates train solely in the profession of Physiotherapy to became a Physiotherapist. This training route requires completion of a minimum of 1000 hours clinical practice in addition to passing theorectical and practicum examinations as well as coursework. It involves 3 main fields of practice: Neurology, Cardiorepsiratory and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, in addition to extensive anatomy & physiology learning, business management skills, multi-professional team working and the big one, EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE. (I almost missed out this is crammed into 3 years full time study in the UK AND, you have to carry out a research project in your final year.)
If you would like to find out more a good place to start is The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and also the Health & Care Professions Council.
Starting to sound a little more interesting isn’t it? Well what if I told you Animal Physiotherapy is a Profession which you can train in too? Scroll down for more…
Exercise therapy equipment used in a dog physiotherapy session
Animal Physiotherapy
Yes. Animal Physiotherapy and Veterinary Rehabilitation are most definitely a thing. In the UK it is a profession which is gaining more and more traction and popularity, which is brilliant as it has only really been recognised formally since 1985 with the development of several professional associations specific to the field. In terms of law, Animal and Veterinary Physio moreso as a “technique” has had a legal nod since the 1966 Veterinary Surgeon’s Act was passed through The House of Commons. This meant physiotherapy for animals could exist under a veterinary referrals and delega basis for conditions that had been seen and diagnosed by a registered veterinarian. It is not the purpose of this blog to go into the full in’s and out’s of legally working as an animal physiotherapist in the UK, however more information can be found at The RCVS website here and also at the Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners (RAMP) here.
More on what Physiotherapy actually is.
“The purpose of physiotherapy is to restore and maintain mobility, function, independence and performance. From the management of joint or spinal problems to rehabilitation after fractures or any injury, animal physiotherapy is now considered an essential addition to medical and surgical treatment.” -quoted from The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT) current 2022 website.
I couldn’t have written it better myself. In short, Physiotherapy involves the application of a variety of evidence-based treatment techniques following a thorough, clinically reasoned assessment of an individual’s subjective and objective physical state. Physiotherapists are professional problem solvers; we strategise, analyse, objectify, evaluate, rationalise, test, re-test, measure and critique everthing we do. Oh, and we also torture clients with homework. (You’re welcome!)
If you are still really not that sure what Physiotherapy is then I would really suggest some further reading of the links in this blog, or better still, actually speak with a Physiotherapist. We are crazy passionate about what we do (just don’t expect it to be a quick call).