The Best Physio In Sydney: What To Look For

What To Look For With Regard To Finding The Best Physio In Sydney

It is important to remember when looking for the best physio in Sydney that not all physios are the same and as a result no two physios will have exactly the same approach to a problem. Although ideally training in physiotherapy is fairly standardized across the profession, the way an individual physiotherapist approaches a session and the specific problem they are consulted for will be influenced by their specific training and experience as a practitioner. Experience with particular conditions encompasses any actual clinical experience, exposure through their education and training, personal experience having them themselves or a someone close to them having suffered a similar complaint, all of this and more will help shape a physiotherapists ideology.

Every physio will have what could be termed their specific “philosophy” regarding their treatment style and the way they would typically approach the management of different patient conditions. Ideally all physios practice under a similar however yet not identical ethos or treatment principles of what they feel is the ideal method of care. Having been a physiotherapist for a couple of decades and practiced in several different countries and settings I have had the pleasure of working alongside plenty of colleagues from varied backgrounds (physio and otherwise) and I can safely say no two physio are the same. And honestly I think this is a good thing, I feel that it is important across the majority of professions (or careers) that individuals within the industry have the freedom to express themselves with-in the constructs of the laws within both society and the profession. Physiotherapists express themselves through their individual approaches to treatment and as a rule these approaches albeit varied are across the board safe and fall within best practice guidelines but will be influenced by all of the factors previously mentioned above.

The Best Physio In Sydney Will Maintain A Current Up To Date Knowledge Base

Physiotherapy is a dynamic profession and keeping current in the industry is crucial. The industries best practice standards are constantly changing as new research is exposed and the understanding from this is applied as appropriate to treatment guidelines. The best physio in Sydney will appreciate this fact and be vigilant in staying current within the profession. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (or AHPRA) demand that physiotherapists annually engage in ongoing professional development making sure all practicing physiotherapists stay current in the industry in order to maintain their registration. What this continuing education looks like will vary from one physio to the next depending on their interests and area of practice but is a mandatory obligation for all practitioners.

The Best Physio In Sydney Will Be Experienced

Thanks to Malcolm Gladwell one of the well known buzz phrases in training is the “10,000 hours” to achieve mastery across a field. In his book “Outliers” Gladwell suggests that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve expert level in a field in his book this was specifically in reference to sports, music… This is not saying any physiotherapist having worked for five or more years full time is a master in their field but I feel it goes a long way to suggest that the best physio in Sydney will have many hours of clinical practice under their belt. And if the best way to learn is by doing, then making sure that your physio has dealt with similar issues in the past not just once but several times at least will help ensure you are getting quality care. The idea of practice makes perfect isn’t an overly reassuring thought for patients suggesting that following some years of below par care a physiotherapist “masters’ their skills and becomes competent. I think this looks down on new graduate physios who in my experience frequently exit the degree with considerably more knowledge that we had back in the 90’s when I graduated due at least partly to the amazing access to information we have in the world today thanks to the internet that wasn’t really a thing way be when I was learning my trade. You accompany this modern day access to information with a substantial thirst for learning that new graduates frequently posses and it means you don’t always need to see a vastly experienced practitioner to be getting the “best physio in Sydney.” I like to think that rather than practice makes perfect, perfect practice makes perfect and if you have a less experienced physio who is driven to learn, improve and master their craft then you will be in great hands!

Plenty Of Experience Is Not Always Enough

The saying “if all you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail” means experience is not always enough when considering the best physio in Sydney. Experience in a practitioner without a desire to update their skills, remain current or challenge themselves to learn will put a physiotherapist at risk of falling behind. This may end up meaning they simply keep doing the same thing time and time again not necessarily because it works but because it is all they know (since all they have at their disposal is a hammer…). More knowledge and more skills bred from the desire to learn, challenge themselves and improve will leave a physio with more weapons in their arsenal to choose from when considering the management of any condition presenting to them. A practitioner with this approach will be capable of adjusting their approach as necessary.

The Best Physio In Sydney Will Attempt To Surround Themselves With The Best

Even the best physio in Sydney will know when they are beaten. They will appreciate when something falls outside their scope of practice and recognize the need to refer appropriately. Be it the onward referral for further investigation or referral to yet another practitioner with a more suited skill set, this may be either inside or outside the physiotherapy profession. Hence the best physio in Sydney will have a strong referral network they can draw on when the need arises to help ensure the best outcomes for their patients, even if ultimately they aren’t the person to provide that care.

Empathy And Understanding Through Like Interests And Experiences

A big part of physiotherapy is the imparting of information and advice in an attempt to empower the patient being treated with the knowledge and understanding of their situation and condition and this message must be believable! Most people wouldn’t take dietary advice seriously when delivered by an obese nutritionist, and taking rehabilitation and training advice from physiotherapists for many is similar. To date in my experience physiotherapists are often driven to choose the profession coming from a passion born from a love of being active (in some shape or form) and sadly with activity sometimes comes injury. The upside of this for physiotherapists who are active, or even suffer injury is that these experiences and set backs can further the understanding of the body, training, training techniques and rehabilitation. All counting towards experiences that can be passed on to future clients.

Key Points When Searching For The Best Physio In Sydney

When looking for the best physio in Sydney there are several things that should be considered some of which are listed below:

• Your physio should be experienced, as well as regularly making efforts to remain current in the industry.
• A physio should always be able to possess the ability to recognize when something is beyond their scope of practice and this is where having a strong network of other practitioners they can tap into when required is important.
• It also helps if they themselves have a keen interest in keeping fit and active so they can better understand where the people they are treating are coming from possessing empathy often helps drive the desire to help.

It is important to remember that as a patient you are not bound to a particular practitioner and have the right to change practitioner as you like. I am sure I speak on behalf of all physiotherapists that we only want the best for our clients and our goal as a physiotherapist is to provide safe and effective care for our patients. As such, if you as a patient don’t feel you are getting the results you anticipated then I would encourage you to discuss this with your treating physiotherapist and or seek a second opinion.