My Ten Sports Physiotherapy Commandments

Here's a radical thought for current trends in Physiotherapy......

A set of commandments for clinicians:

​​1. Ask the clients about their goals. Not only is it useful to ask how you can help, but it's also useful to literally ask the question, "What is your goal?
​This sets a trajectory for your interaction and provides their words to refer back to you when re-evaluating.

​2. Evaluate thoroughly to a) find out where a client is in relation to their goals by obtaining a diagnosis of injury, pain and movement control. If another clinician evaluates your client and obtains a different diagnosis, either your evaluation is lacking, or theirs is. That's an area for improvement, at least for yourself.

​3. Reset to improve function more often according to what they need, not what you want to do to them. Treatment that changes behaviour of a client matters. It's called a "reset", and is called that because it changes behaviour. Therein lies the essence of therapy - to restore. The reset, which may include passive treatment, is but one step towards physical therapy.

4. Reinforce to protect function. This is anything prescribed, such as ergonomic advice, mobility maintenance strategies, strapping or bracing to limit regression.

5. Reprogram and reload to develop function competence and capacity. The addition of exercise to improve motor control is a reprogramming strategy. It is very different from rebuilding muscle.

​6. Re-evaluate according to your clients goals.

7. Smile more often than not - you're in the helping business - it's good for humanity and business for your client to be subjectively better when they leave than when they entered.

8. Have your client objectively better when they leave than when they entered your space - this ensures you honour your plan to be accountable and make the world a better place.

9. Seek out those who get clients better when you can't - your gap in capability is usually bigger than you think about.

10. Re-evaluate your own professional progress according to your own goals.


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Here's two bonuses: 

Be prepared to travel to broaden your horizons - chances are you will be better for it - and what client isn't better served by a better clinician?

Get involved in an improved definition of "function". It's name is taken in vain often and rarely, if ever, defined or agreed upon. ​