What Is A Good Physio?
Over the years, I’ve often wondered what separates a good physio from a bad one.
Early on in my career, I thought that to be a good physio, you needed to have all the knowledge and be trained and certified in all the different treatment techniques.
But it’s not this simple!
Sure, knowledge and expertise are important, but they are not enough to make a good physio… or osteo, chiro, sports therapist, doctor, surgeon, etc, etc…
Many of the worst physios I have met over the years had lots of knowledge, expertise, certifications and qualifications, which they often liked to promote or talk about, which is an immediate red flag for ‘bellend’ physio in my opinion.
Yet many of the best physios I’ve met sometimes had very basic knowledge and minimal expertise.
And that’s because to be good at something, you need much more than just knowledge and expertise.
You also need the right attributes and attitudes.
A lovely paper that highlights this very well is this integrative review by Kleiner et al (2023) that examines the qualities that constitute a ‘good’ physio.
It highlights the importance of physios needing BOTH technical competence but also many other attributes.
In brief, they find six key attributes of a good physio are…
Responsiveness
This is about actively listening, validating a person’s experiences, and demonstrating you give a shit.
It’s also about being attentive and adaptable to each patient’s unique needs, and not just blindly following historic or outdated protocols.
It's more about the person than the procedures.
Ethical
This is about demonstrating integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, respect, and practising within professional boundaries.
It’s also about prioritising a person’s health and welfare, which means being brutally honest about what many of our treatments can and can't do, and not promoting unnecessary or ineffective treatments.
It’s more about difficult truths than comfortable lies.
Communication
This is more than just talking; it's about clearly conveying information and actively listening, helping others understand their treatment plans and feel heard in their concerns.
Its also about giving clear explanations, without complex jargon or fear inducing bollocks, instead inspiring confidence and empowerment.
It's more about meaning than just explanations.
Caring
This is about demonstrating genuine concern and empathy. It's about building a therapeutic relationship where the patient feels supported and valued.
It’s about exhibiting compassion, understanding, reassurance, support, friendliness, and warmth.
It’s more about being a human than just a clinician.
Compentant
This is about having the necessary knowledge, clinical reasoning, and confidence to help others understand what’s going on and what needs to be done.
It’s also about staying up to date with current research and best practice.
It’s more about evidence than experience.
Collabrative
This is about working with other professionals and involving people in their own decision-making, helping lead them to better outcomes.
It's also about adapting approaches to an individual's needs and fostering a partnership.
It's more about them than you.
So in summary, a good physio understands and recognises the importance of human connection first and that it’s not just about the techniques or treatments.
Good physios know it's about earning trust and respect before applying manual therapy and rehab exercises.
Good physios know it's more about skilled interactions than skilled interventions.
So, to try and be a better physio, look to focus on these things first before worrying too much about your manual therapy certifications or exercise prescription skills.
Until next time
Stay strong
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