It was so great to have Neil back in the writer’s room for his edition of Physiotalk a few weeks back when he was talking about his ski trip (if you haven’t read it, it’s worth tracking down on the Scenic News website). Neil’s telling anyone who’ll listen about the (supposedly) glowing feedback he’s receiving daily about this literary masterpiece.

Reading Neil’s article got me thinking about how sometimes the old trusty, reliable things we know and love can do the job better than any new, fantastical things that catch our eye. Have you ever worn a pair of shoes to within an inch of its life, got a new pair and then realised that the old pair is still better? Yeah, that feeling.

So, what does this have to do with physio, you ask? Well, like many fields of healthcare, we are constantly bombarded with ever-changing research, differing “expert” opinions and a new device that promises to fix every known ailment every other day. It’s a massive challenge that we face every day to sift through all of this information, work out what does and doesn’t work, and treat our clients to the best of our ability. And guess what? 9 times out of 10 it’s the old, trusty techniques we’ve been using for decades now that do the trick.

I thought I would bust some physiotherapy myths to set the record straight.
- “I saw a pill on the news that said it would cure my arthritis!” – While this would be amazing and life changing for many, many people, it’s not likely to occur anytime soon. Arthritis is an extremely complex degenerative condition that affects people in a multitude of ways. While medications can help relieve pain (speak to your GP about what may help), the treatments with the most evidence are regular exercise, good diet and regular physiotherapy.
- “I don’t need physio, I need surgery” – Physiotherapy and surgery go hand in hand like bread and butter. In many cases, a good physio-led rehabilitation program can help prevent surgery. Sometimes, surgery is still required and that’s okay – physiotherapy before surgery almost always leads to enhanced post-operative outcomes. Physiotherapy after surgery does the same!
- Physiotherapy is just massage – Nope. This is something that really grinds my gears. While most physiotherapists will use massage as part of a treatment package, we will use joint mobilisation, taping, bracing, dry needling, education and exercise to manage your condition. Physiotherapy is such a wide and varied profession, and we have a crazy amount to offer – not just massage!
- Physiotherapy is just for adults/young people/active people/old people – There is a very good reason that we go through various subjects at uni teaching us about the entire lifespan of humans. Physios are adept at treating everyone! Physique especially has an incredibly wide range of expertise from paediatric to geriatric physiotherapy, sports, women’s health, men’s health, lymphoedema, dizziness, chronic pain, headaches, tendons etc. etc. etc. The list goes on!!

While every single day we are learning more and more about the human body – it’s important to not overlook the tried-and-true methods of treatment to help out. Not sure what should be done about your health? Give us a call, and let the experts help!