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E D I T O R I A L

P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y December, 1962

Physiotherapist or Technician?—A physiotherapist can 
so easily become a technician, or can be jooked upon as 
such by doctors from whom they receive patients or 
instructions relating to the treatment of their patients.

Technicians are very necessary members of certain 
branches of medicine, but physiotherapists are professional 
people, dealing directly with the sick, the injured and the 
handicapped. Only by keeping the standard of our work 
and our approach to our work and our patients at a high 
professional level can we demand the respect and recogni­
tion of the medical profession.

It is our responsibility to see that the results of our 
treatments justify the name “Physiotherapy.” In our 
training we are taught to think for ourselves, to assess the 
needs of our patients and to use our initiative, and by so 
doing we can assist the doctor who is primarily responsible 
for the diagnosis and the progress of the patient. In this 
way we have become important members of the team.

To achieve our maximum efficiency we must keep abreast 
o f the times, employing new techniques, discarding out­
moded ideas and non-specific treatments o f questionable 
value. We must be sure to be able to adapt our basic skills 
to meet new and challenging circumstances.

Physiotherapists, because of the time spent with their 
patients, and the necessarily close relationship which builds 
up between them, are able to make contact with the patient, 
better than anyone else in the team. It is therefore of extreme 
importance that we have the right psychological approach 
to our patients and understand how best to help them, 
both physically and mentally during their course of treat­
ment. Excellent techniques can be completely worthless

if the patient is handled badly or inadequately from the 
psychological angle.

On the other side of the picture, do physiotherapists 
give any time or thought to contributing to the develop­
ment of physiotherapy? By discussion on new techniques, 
investigation of new ideas, and how these ideas can be 
applied to our everyday treatments, we can stimulate 
interest and progress within the profession as well as 
amongst the doctors.

Some people are content to travel the same road year 
after year giving back nothing to the profession, nor do 
they help the younger generation to gain from their experi­
ence. It is up to all of us to make an effort to put back 
something of what we have taken out and to make our 
work o f value to all.

We must avail ourselves of all knowledge open to us 
and try to put this knowledge into practise for the ultimate 
benefit of the patient. Research work in all the various 
branches of our profession is an all important feature in 
the development o f physiotherapy and must be encouraged 
and assisted wherever possible.

A very emminent medical man overseas has given physio­
therapy the great compliment of “saluting us as a Profession 
Complimentary to Medicine,” saying that he can effect 
only half a cure by perfected surgical means, relying for 
the second half of the cure, on physiotherapy. This is a 
great responsibility for us, but may we by our skill initiative 
and efficiency and perseverence be worthy of this compliment.

It is in our own hands what we eventually become- 
Physiotherapist or Technician.

C o n t e n t s

Newer Aspects of Orthopaedic Surgery

Dangers of Short-wave Therapy (Revision article)

W.C.P.T. Fourth International Congress—Copenhagen

General ......................................

Branch News 

Students Column

Letters ......................................

A Trip down a Gold Mine

Book Reviews ..........................

V a c a n c ie s ......................................

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