A physiotherapist has many tools in their toolkit. Here are some of the top skills and methods I apply in my practice:
- Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (McKenzie Method)
- Exercise / Movement therapy
- Graded exposure for return to activity
- Manual /soft tissue therapy
- Internal exams (pelvic floor)
- Posture retraining
- Body mechanics retraining
- Activity modification
I’ve found that helping people on their journey uses some of those tools, but what was more important were the soft skills developed over time. In my practice, I’ve relied heavily on:
- Education and empowerment
- Active / reflective listening
- Cultivating empathy
- Facilitating patients to dive deeper into their thoughts / emotions / stressors
- Investigating contributing factors to symptoms – especially psychosocial factors
Specific to chronic pain, other approaches I’ve found to be most effective were mindfulness-based activity and facilitating physical activity/exercise/movement. In my articles and self-guided pain course, you will see them as parallel themes.
I believe in evidence-based practice, which may be apparent as you go through the website. I am constantly learning and improving my practice, so I will be updating this site as I come across new and meaningful information.
Against All Pains 