Yoga is often prescribed as something of a ‘cure-all’, by both – medical practitioners and the general public. Whether you’re suffering from low back pain, pregnancy issues, stiff muscles, stress or regular ailments, the answer is often, “Go do yoga!”. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love yoga and I am convinced it has a lot to help everyone. However, I believe that for the best outcome, your yoga practice needs to be just that – yours! It needs to be individualised and guided. For that matter, any exercise regime or even a simple work out needs to be individual-specific. That’s where Physiotherapy comes in! Physiotherapists bridge the gap between exercising and exercising correctly, such that you get the optimum benefits.

It is common for physiotherapists to get a few patients walk into the clinic with pain and injury, resulting from their exercise / fitness workouts – caused by yoga or Zumba (and everything in between)! As a young teen, in the 90’s I was in awe of the engineering marvel called the human body. I was a voracious reader and would eagerly wait for the subscribed copies of ‘The Scientific American’ and other science magazines in my school and junior college library. Those were the pre-smartphone days! I was a hardcore physicist by nature who enjoyed solving problems. I couldn’t memorise any formulae so had to challenge my skills, even in exams to create indigenous ways to arrive at the answer.

Soon, I was on the crossroads in Class XII, where I had to decide my career path. I wanted something that could keep me outdoors, travel the world, pursue my passion in understanding the human body and help me dive deeper in physics. Choosing medicine over engineering would make me say goodbye to my dearest subject – Physics. Choosing an Engineering field would keep me away from exploring the human body workings. Apart from these two, we hardly had other choices those days. Luckily, I was introduced to a field where I could pursue my love and passion together. I chose to be an ‘Engineer of the Human Body’! …In regular parlance – a Physiotherapist!

Often, I’m asked about physiotherapy – what do physiotherapists do? Even today not many know and understand the need and importance of Physiotherapy in healing and well-being. 8^th September marks World Physiotherapy Day; the week is celebrated as Physiotherapy Week the world over. Being a nascent profession, there are many myths and doubts in the minds of people. It’s my humble attempt today to spread awareness about Physiotherapy as a profession.

World Physical Therapy Day was established in 1996 by the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT). World Physical Therapy Day is celebrated to acknowledge the versatility of Physiotherapy in improving the quality of life as also the strenuous efforts put in by physiotherapists. A physician adds years to a patient’s life; a physiotherapist adds life to the years in a patient’s life. Physiotherapy is also referred to as physical medicine. Physiotherapists are the engineers of the Human Body. In addition to having indepth insights into basic medical sciences (Anatomy, Physiology and Bio-chemistry), we also command a thorough knowledge of Bio-mechanics and Kinesiology. This knowledge of force vectors and their interactions (physically and mathematically) in kinesiology and Bio-mechanics makes physiotherapists stand out from almost every other medical professional.

Although Physiotherapists do not prescribe medication, they possess complete knowledge of pharmacology to know and understand the effects (along with its side effects) of the medications that patients share. All other medical subjects that are common to all medical professionals such as Pathology, Microbiology, General Medicine, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Neurology, Psychiatry are all covered in depth during course work.

Specialised subjects like Functional Physical Diagnosis and Management, Electrotherapy, Manual Therapy, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation – are all included in curriculum. Some Physios go on to pursue their Post-graduation in specific areas of specialization. I did mine in Sports Physiotherapy as it gives me the opportunity to travel with my team and actively contribute to their success!

As a result of changes in health care, people increasingly seek physiotherapists (first-line access). Trends in Canada and Australia have been exploring the role of physiotherapists within the triage system of Emergency Departments.

Physiotherapists work within a wide variety of health settings to improve a broad range of physical problems associated with different ‘systems’ of the body. In particular, they treat Neuro-muscular (brain and nervous system), Musculo-skeletal (soft tissues, joints and bones), Cardiovascular and Respiratory systems (heart and lungs and associated physiology). Fitness and peak performance is the primary domain of a physio’s expertise.

Physiotherapists work autonomously, often as a member of a team, alongside other health or social care professionals. Physiotherapy practice is characterised by reflective behaviour and systematic clinical reasoning – both contributing to and underpinning a problem-solving approach to patient-centric care.

In India, if your health insurance policy offers cover for Out Patient Department (OPD) or Day Care Procedures, then physiotherapy is covered under it, even if it is not linked to a surgery. Physiotherapy during hospitalization and post-surgery are normally covered in your health insurance policy.

Thus, you can see that a Physiotherapist is someone you can safely trust to putting your health and wellness in their safe hands! So, the next time you need a healing touch, you know which clinic to head to!

Stay healthy! Stay blessed!

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Dr. Danesh Chinoy

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