Physiotherapy is an ancient and honourable art which uses such natural methods as heat, massage and exercise to invigorate the body, relieve pain. Hippocrates described massage and hydrotherapy, the beginnings of physiotherapy, in 460 BC.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapywas founded in 1894 by four young nurses: Lucy Marianne Robinson, Rosalind Paget, Elizabeth Anne Manley and Margaret Dora Palmer. They set up the Society of Trained Masseuses to protect their profession from falling into disrepute as a result of media stories warning young nurses and the public of unscrupulous people offering massage as a euphemism for other services.
By 1900, the Society acquired the legal and public status of a professional organisation and became the Incorporated Society of Trained Masseuses. In 1920, the Society was granted a Royal Charter. It amalgamated with the Institute of Massage and Remedial Gymnastics. As the Chartered Society grew in strength, branches and local boards were established all over the country and in 1944 the Society adopted its present name, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), being more representative of the field of work it covered.
In 1968 and 1970 respectively, the Faculty of Physiotherapists and the Physiotherapists Association Ltd amalgamated with the CSP. In 1976, the Society was certified as an independent trade union. In the same year, the first degree course in physiotherapy was established.
In 1977, the Department of Health memorandum HC (77) 33 instituted professional autonomy for physiotherapists. In 1978 a bye-law change in the Society's statutes finally allowed physiotherapists to treat patients without prior medical referral. The Society of Remedial Gymnastics and Recreational Therapy merged with the CSP in 1985.
Student physiotherapists were admitted as members in 1986 in order to involve them more closely in the development of the Society. In 1992, the profession became an all graduate entry profession. In the same year, the Society affiliated to the Trade Union Congress. In 1994, the Society allowed physiotherapy assistants to become associates.
Description and benefits of Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists are considered as "Body Specialists”. Physiotherapy is a professional healthcare discipline directed primarily towards the prevention or alleviation of movement disfunction in people. Physiotherapists believe it is important to look at the 'whole' person taking into account previous medical history, work and lifestyle before making a diagnosis and devising a treatment programme that is tailored to an individual's needs. The physical approach promotes, maintains and restores physical, psychological and social well-being, taking account of variations in health status. Physiotherapy is science-based, committed to extending, applying, evaluating and reviewing the evidence that underpins and informs its practice and delivery.
Physiotherapists work in a wide variety of health settings such as in hospitals - intensive care and stroke recovery, health centres, GP practices, schools, work places, private clinics, nursing homes and also by visiting people at home. The three main treatment routes to see a physiotherapist are via the NHS, via private practitioners and via the independent sector.
A physiotherapist establish a physical diagnosis and determine a client's movement potential, they then plan and implement physiotherapy treatment programs, using specialized knowledge and skills in exercise, prescription and hands-on techniques for the prevention and treatment of movement disfunction.
Movement disfunction is any alteration in normal body kinetics that limits effective or efficient body performance. Movement disfunction may be due to pain, congenital anomalies, disease processes, accident or injury, enforced inactivity, problems secondary to aging, or psychological or social stress. The disfunction may be manifested in actual or potential impairment related to neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, respiratory or cardiovascular systems.
With ongoing clinical research, physiotherapists continue to develop techniques to prevent and treat physical injury and disorder. They integrate other therapies into their treatment work e.g:
- Electrotherapy - Physiotherapists use electrotherapy to treat disorders relating to the muscles and/or bone.
- Craniosacral therapy is a holistic treatment and it enhances the patient's own healing ability, releases tensions, allows for reorganisation of tissues and structure and lets the body free itself of disease.
- Hydrotherapy strengthens muscles, improves mobility, balance and co-ordination, helps multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease and reduces swelling. It is also an effective method of pain relief as well as promoting relaxation and enhanced well-being.
- X-rays are used for checking damage or disease within bones.
- Orthopaedic therapy treats the body's musculoskeletal system, this complex system includes your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves and allows you to move, work and be active.
- Neurophysiotherapy improves mobility, balance and co-ordination, as well as prescribing individualised exercises aimed at increasing strength and body awareness.
The paragraph below illustrates what conditions can benefit from ‘Physiotherapy.
Arthritis, heart disease, stroke, sprains, strains, low back pain, neck, knee and shoulder injuries ligament tears and other athletic injuries, bladder and bowel control, incontinence, pelvic pain and prostrate post surgical conditions. tendonitis or any other joint or muscle problems, asthma, emphysema, bronchial conditions, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, cystic fibrosis, hand injury or disease, muscular dystrophy, stroke, spinal cord and brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and other nervous system conditions. Fractures, pain, muscle weakness, vertigo, dizziness and other balance disorders, joint stiffness, abnormal gait patterns, heart disease, Incontinence, tinnitus, ulcers, varus.
Physiotherapists help and treat people of all ages with physical problems caused by illness, accident or ageing. They identify and maximise movement potential through health promotion, preventive healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation.
Governing Bodies of Physiotherapy
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) represents those Physiotherapists who are interested in integrating Acupuncture into mainstream Physiotherapy for the management of pain and systemic conditions.
The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care (ACPRC)
The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Oncology and palliative care (ACPOPC)
|
