This is a question that many clients consider when they have pain or injury and are trying to make a decision on which health professional to consult.
So….Right from the start let me be transparent by saying that one profession isn’t ‘better’ than another! The purpose of this blog post is to provide information which assists you in making the correct decision and achieve outstanding results.
My primary piece of advice is to consult a healthcare professional who clearly has experience and expertise in the specific area you have an issue and can assist your recovery. This healthcare professional should be working to evidence informed standards and ensure that you are an active participant in your treatment, and this doesn’t just consist of treatment only, particularly manual or soft tissue therapy only! This re-enforces what we term ‘therapist dependence’ and this is not advocated, nor does it put YOU in control of YOUR treatment ….
So lets look a little deeper at what each of the professions above have to offer and where they might differ slightly. Although it is becoming clear that there is more merging of treatment approaches between professions. For example, chiropractors providing strength & conditioning plans, physiotherapists providing manipulative therapy and podiatrist offering more than just orthotics. All were previously skills which may not have been provided by each profession respectively.
There are differences in assessment procedures between the professions but again the key aspect is to ensure the clinician you consult is utilising evidence informed assessment procedures. They should be able to clearly explain to you, (in language you understand), why they are using a particular assessment approach and what this will tell them. If they cannot provide this information quickly and clearly on request, then please do not continue your treatment. It’s a major red flag for quackery and financial opportunism!!
Unfortunately, I come across clients on a fairly regular basis who have been previously consulted and were inaccurately assessed and inappropriately treated for their condition and it is clear that their treatment frequency (number of sessions) was excessive for their condition and requirements and clearly driven by financial gain … It’s really disappointing to see !!
As a rough rule to follow (and many of the private healthcare companies for that matter) if you don’t observe 75% improvement (pain/function/movement) within 4-6 sessions of ANY therapy then question if that particular approach is an effective way to treat your condition. In fact the clinician you are consulting should also be making this same consideration thus offering evidence informed treatment and also ensuring their treatment is effective and cost efficient!
*this is not specific advice and treatment duration/sessions can vary dependent upon individual circumstance.
Again, to provide insight your treatment pathway should roughly follow the following journey
- Reduce/control pain
- Restore/Normalise movement
- Build load control/strength/functional capacity/endurance
- Develop ability to express force/power
- Return to work/sport
It is clear to me, from 23 years’ experience as a specialist clinician, that clients often get stuck in Phase 1 with repeated sessions focused on soft tissue/manual therapy and little progression toward restoration of functional capacity or sport’s specific function. This vital piece of the jigsaw puzzle is so important if we are to reduce the risk of recurrence in many common musculoskeletal complaints such as back/neck pain, knee pain and shoulder pain and mitigate sports injury risk the lowest levels.
So …. The next time you are in pain or have sustained an injury take a little time to research your options and consider the following points …
- Evidence informed treatment – using up to date research and their own clinical experience to manage your condition
- Education – Your therapist should be able to vlearly explain your condition, the treatment options and estimated timescales for recovery and required number of treatment sessions (at Active Therapy ALL this information is included in our welcome email after your initial assessment)
- Review progress – if you are not achieving acceptable results after 4-6 sessions, PLEASE consider another approach and discuss this with your treating clinician who should be able to provide clear information on why their treatment has/has not achieved the results they outlined.
- Self-management – if your therapist has provided exercises (they absolutely SHOULD be doing this) then please follow them to the prescribed levels. In clinic treatment AND self-management combined offer the best outcomes for most conditions under treatment. #
- ASK – if there is anything you have concerns about, you are unclear about or just doesn’t feel ‘right’ then initially discuss this with your treating clinician and following discussion you still don’t have the answers you require then WALK AWAY … Get another opinion. At the end of the day it is your body, your treatment and you need to feel confident that you are receiving the correct treatment and you are actively engaged in this process …
I hope you have found this information useful. The post is intended help clients make decisions on the correct treatment for them. As you can see there are several options available and at times this can be a challenging decision for non-medical service users to make !
If you have any queries then please contact me at admin@active-therapy.com or 07970110526 and I’d be happy to help further
Look forward to meeting you soon and helping on your journey toward a pain free, active lifestyle
Andrew Caldwell
Consultant Physiotherapist
Clinical Director