Physiotherapy – Could It Help You?
Have you ever tried to explain your job to a 7 year old? Children of this age are full of questions and when asked recently what it is I do at work I tried to explain that Physiotherapists help people who are sore to get better and to move properly. This got me thinking about the history of my Profession.
History
The Society of Trained Masseuses was founded by 4 nurses back in 1894 to protect their reputation from those who used the word “massage” as a euphemism for entirely different services! This group grew and then merged in 1920 to become the Chartered Society of Massage and Medical Gymnastics. 1920 was also the year that the society gained its Royal Charter and was the first year that men were allowed to join. In 1940, to better reflect the scope of its work, the society became known by its current name – the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy or CSP.
The history of the CSP, with its roots in massage and exercise, reflect the core skills of Physios today – manual therapy with “hands on” treatment to stretch and mobilise soft tissues and exercise therapy to improve strength and fitness. Also, a large part we what we do is education on what the injury / problem is with advice both on how to get better and how to prevent it from happening again. We help to maintain good health for people of all ages by promoting recovery after illness or injury, by helping patients stay in work, and by promoting independent living for as long as possible. In addition to core skills, Physiotherapists can gain additional skills such as joint injection therapy, independent prescribing rights and acupuncture.
Does it work?
The answer to that is a resounding “yes”. There have been many studies that show that money spent on Physiotherapy is both a clinically effective and a cost effective way of helping employees back to work after injury. Rapid access to musculoskeletal physiotherapy reduces time off work and prevents a new problem from becoming a chronic and long lasting condition.
The statistics for falls are horrendous with 1 in 3 adults over 65 and 1 in 2 adults over 80 in the UK falling every year. Up to 25% of these falls will result in a serious injury which will cost the NHS approximately £2.3 billion per year. Individual exercise programmes from a Physio have been shown to reduce the incidence of falls by 32%, a huge saving in financial terms but an even more important saving in reduced pain and suffering for the patients involved and their families.
Physiotherapists have many skills to help you get better – to reduce pain, to become fitter and stronger, and to have a better quality of life. A lot of information to tell a 7 year old! More information can be found on www.csp.org.uk but if you have a specific question, please call us on 0131-337-5135 and the Physios of McNaughton Physiogrange will be happy to explain if and how they can help.
