How To Become A Good Physiotherapist

What is a physiotherapist?

A physiotherapist or a physical therapist is a healthcare professional who helps maintain a person's physical well-being and overall mobility. They help people with illnesses and injuries to manage extreme pain and enjoy a better quality of life. Using their physiotherapy knowledge, these professionals evaluate the extent of injuries and prepare a treatment strategy to help patients recover faster.

A physiotherapist conducts hands-on therapy and requires practical training to perform physiotherapy. These professionals use manual techniques like stretching to ease discomfort and improve mobility. To help patients recover faster, a physiotherapist teaches some physiotherapy techniques to perform at home.

What does a physiotherapist do?

A physiotherapist may help patients with mobility issues and live with minimal or no pain. These healthcare professionals perform hands-on physical therapy to help their patients. Here are some other job duties that a physiotherapist may perform:

• work with patients to relieve their mobility issues and pain

• restore mobility of patients by performing various exercises

• keep track of client's health

• identify, diagnose and treat a patient's condition

• refer clients to other medical professionals to restore their health

• monitor the progress of discharged clients while patients are in the home

• promote an active and healthy lifestyle by creating customised fitness plans

• design treatment strategies to restore functioning, prevent disability, reduce extreme pain and enhance mobility

• prevent progressive loss of mobility because of injuries, disease and disorders

Specialisations of a physiotherapist

When pursuing a degree in a physiotherapist, you may choose one of the following specialisations:

• Musculoskeletal Physiotherapists

• Sports physiotherapists: They specialise in injuries caused by sports or injuries that prohibit people from participating in sports.

• Geriatric physiotherapists: These physiotherapists specialise in injuries and complaints related to older people and other disabilities that come with age.

• Paediatrics physiotherapists: A paediatrics physiotherapist may diagnose injuries and mobility illnesses related to younger people. Often, they work with children who face developmental delays.

• Neurology physiotherapists: These physiotherapists deal with neurological damage, disorder or disease. They treat patients with mobility disorder that results from disease or injury to the body's spinal cord, brain or extremities.

Skills of a Good physiotherapist

Here are a few important skills to master as a physiotherapist:

Physical strength

The physical treatment plans and therapies you perform require physical strength and agility. As you help patients with physical movements, you may assist them in sitting, walking or standing, which requires effective physical strength. These professionals require stamina and strength to treat patients throughout the day.

Communication skills

Excellent communication skills are necessary for this role as they help you ask the right question. This can help in understanding the patient's problem and creating a treatment plan. Clear communication helps teach physical therapies to patients. As you fill out detailed progress reports of patients, you require good written communication skills.

Patience

Often, physiotherapists may work with patients recovering from extreme pain, broken bones and wounds. The ability to treat such patients and improve their mobility requires a physiotherapist to have patience. Often, they may change their treatment plan in the middle to manage unforeseen changes in the patient's condition.

Organisation

Being organised helps a physiotherapist locate equipment and things they require for providing physiotherapy sessions. This can help a physiotherapist maintain a schedule and records of each client. Having excellent time management skills helps these professionals break down primary goals into smaller and manageable activities.

Problem-solving

A physiotherapist requires excellent problem-solving skills to understand a patient's condition. Using their knowledge and problem-solving skills, these professionals create exercises and therapy regimes. The ability to solve problems without losing your composure gives you the confidence to work as a physiotherapist.

Sensitivity and empathy

Often, you may come across patients in distress and pain. These patients may not communicate their ailment with you. If they cannot tell you how they feel, your sensitivity can help you understand their condition and prescribe the right treatment. Also, a physiotherapist requires empathy to connect with patients and understand their needs. This helps in forming a long-term relationship with patients and aid them in full recovery.