October, 1 9 5 5_________________________________________ P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y ______________________________________________ Page O ne

Editorial ...........................................................................................................................................  Page 1

Recent Advances in Physiotherapeutic Methods .............................................................................  Page 2

Conservative Treatment of Poliomyelitis .......................................................................................... Page 7

Conference ...........................................................................................................................................  Page 11

General Page 12

Personal ............................  .....................................................................................................  Page 13

Respirators Used in Poliomyelitis ......................................................................................................  Page 14

Branch News ...........................................................................................................................................  Page 15

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EDITORIAL

TH E R E  is a wealth o f  talk and discussion these days about relaxation. It seems that we 
have so arranged our lives that we must practise 
this as a conscious art instead o f  its being a natural 
mechanism o f  mind and body. Mental and physical 
fatigue are the inevitable results o f  the extra­
ordinary lust for getting what so many consider 
to be the utmost out o f  life. Petty jealousies arise, 
tempers becom e frayed and so much o f  what 

Jkhould be natural kindness is lost. Material gains 
A r e  often made at the expense o f  mental ease, 

for the excessive pace forced on us by com petition 
demands som e payment.

I f we accept this tempo o f  life, we should try 
to balance it by deliberate periods o f  relaxation. 
This does not mean just putting on e’s feet up for 
fifteen minutes a day. It is a practice which will 
vary with each person.

One form o f  relaxation which must benefit 
everyone is a change o f  environment, or som e sort 
o f  holiday away from the normal routine. This 
applies not only to those employed outside their 
homes, but to the housewife and even to those 
who are not financially obliged to work.

Perhaps those who are subjected to physical 
and mental strain by dealing with the public all 
day, e.g. teachers, members o f  the medical pro­

fession, and shop assistants, need m ore frequent 
holidays than others. On the whole, teachers 
have been catered for in this way, but it is horrify­
ing to read advertisements for medical posts 
where sometimes only three, and even two weeks 
leave per year are granted. Often too, this involves 
a full year’s work before any leave can be taken.

A gain it is a personal choice as to whether one 
takes a lon g holiday once a year, or m ore frequent 
but shorter breaks. However, it m ust have been 
proved that i f  a high standard o f  output is to be 
maintained, a “relaxation balance” . must be 
achieved to prevent staleness.

A lthough the popular cry is now for higher 
pay and shorter hours, provided advantage is not 
taken o f  these benefits, there seems a great deal 
to be said in their favour. Certainly at the pro­
fessional level, personal integrity and a sense o f 
responsibility should outweigh the danger o f  
laziness and greed.

To m ention physiotherapy in particular, a 
certain lack o f  disciplinary rigidity and a respect 
for the individual’s initiative and capabilities 
certainly pays dividends in small ways. I f  similar 
amenities were afforded in other spheres, we may 
be able to  adjust ourselves better to the pressure 
o f  our work and reap greater enjoyment from it.

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