Mr Miyagi was my first Physio inspiration. His incredible treatment to get Daniel back in the dojo at the film’s conclusion is iconic. Watching that scene made me want to have that kind of healing power. It is also the reason I perform a loud clap and rub my hands together at the start of any manual therapy treatment.

There are few things that all Physios should be informed of at university. You should be told that some days are incredibly rewarding and the feeling of helping another person can be priceless. You should also be told that there will be other days where patients will annoy you for trivial things like running late to your appointment or seeing a Chiro. You also should be warned that you will have a career crisis around the 5 year mark and wonder where to go next.

I have made more patients cry this year than in the previous 10. This wasn’t due to giving bad news or causing pain with an over enthusiastic elbow. Sadly, it hasn’t even been from my side-splitting anecdotes. Mostly, I’ve induced tears with simple questions and statements. 2021 has made asking the tried and tested opening line of ‘So, how have you been?’ a nerve inducing gamble. Lockdown fatigue has also amplified the power of the empathetic statement ‘Yeah, that much be tough’.

The universe is constantly throwing various dichotomies at us. Asking us to choose between two extremes that never exist in isolation is both unfair and impossible. Red or white wine? Rent or buy? Cats or dogs? Making such decisions invariably means ignoring context and simply choosing one that reflect you at that specific moment from your particular viewpoint (consider how your wine choice depends on what you are eating). Unless of course, if it’s choosing between Seinfeld and Friends. Clearly the answer is always Seinfeld. Always.

When we look back at our careers in the years to come, several milestones will inevitably come to mind. You’ll talk about the patient who was so grateful for your help. You’ll embarrassingly recall the time you started treating the wrong side and for the patient to not say a word until the end of the appointment. You describe the day you questioned your life choices as you stood pitch-side on a cold, wet and windy winter’s day unable to feel your hands. Undoubtedly, we will also have our COVID lockdown stories to add to our career ‘highlights’. I anticipate that your lockdown story will follow the template of: the fear, anxiety, and insecurity brought by 2020, the optimism that 2021 promised followed by the fear, anxiety, and insecurity that 2021 delivered.

This is a story about Jane, but it is also a story about me.

Jane had done everything right. She loved the feeling of freedom that all cyclists know and cherish. Every ride was a great ride, whether enjoying the warm sun on her face as she rolled along Beach Rd, feeling the wind rush past her descending the roads of the Dandenong Ranges or simply making her way to the job she loved. She kept herself safe on the roads. Jane would thank considerate drivers, say hello to other cyclists she passed and obeyed the simple road rules that some cyclists consider as just suggestions.

She had always gradually increased her training, aware that with age she had to train smart and look after her body. She would do her mobility exercises and conditioning routine. She regularly maintained her bike to the envy of her riding friends.

Many years ago, I went to a friend’s BBQ. Despite working in an industry that requires you to be open and personable, I wasn’t that interested in meeting new people. I justified it by saying that I spoke with new people all the time and come the weekend, I just wanted to be alone. Unfortunately, social etiquette deemed it rude not to go. Standing in their backyard, I found myself speaking to someone I hadn’t met before but thinking of something else. I knew the question was coming. In fact, I had deliberately held back from asking the same question to avoid the topic. Then it came. I thought I had led the conversation far enough down a different path. I tried to not let the disappointment show on my face when the words ‘So what do you do for work?’ left their lips.

I replied, ‘Im a Physio’.

We at The Physio Social Club recently met to discuss the topic of Promoting Your Value. The question stemmed from a question I was asked about how to best get your name out ‘there’ and build a caseload. Like an annoying supervisor I had back at uni, I answered their question with another question.

I asked, ‘What about your way of providing Physiotherapy do you value?

Written by Kit Wisdom of Wise Physiotherapy. Repost with permission.

The nuanced weaving of physiotherapy and positive psychology. An experience of experiential learning.

I remember when I really hit the wall. I had hit it a few times previously, but maybe those times were more sort of slight scrapes; bumps that didn't quite stop me from soldiering on. Bruises that could quickly appear superficially better. This time though, I stopped. Sat still. Really appraised my situation.

Single mum. Toddler in tow. Family living on the other side of the country. Working as a physiotherapist in a large private sports-oriented clinic. Just shy of ten years of service. 15 years all up. Really needed my job to survive; financially, emotionally, mentally. And yet I felt completely boxed in.

Smiling is a nice feeling.

Laughing is a better feeling.

Not being able to breath because of laughter is simply the best.

I have a colleague who’s laugh flows through the entire clinic. No matter which corner of the building you are in you hear it. It travels through the walls, it passes through the air vents, always sounding like they are right behind you. Whenever I hear their laugh, it makes me smile. I never know what made my colleague laugh. Yet each time I hear their laugh, I smile.

COVID-19 is creating turmoil throughout our profession. The questions of non-essential vs essential care being debated, our social responsibility as healthcare professionals being examined and what our profession will look like in several months uncertain, I reflect on the concept of change.

The last time my professional life was thrown into chaos it was self-inflicted.

The Challenge of Telehealth.

Feeling nervous before seeing a patient was something, I believed I had grown out of several years ago. After nearly two decades, surely there was no reason to doubt my ability to help someone. Except on this occasion, for the first time my patient wasn’t going to be in front of me.

Welcome to The Physio Social Club.

Our goal was to establish a range of social events for Physios to attend to meet, chat, learn and share. Rather than relying on various social media groups to stay connected, we wanted to bring people face to face.