EDITORIAL A s th e y e a r d ra w s to a clo se, w e s h o u ld b e re fle c tin g o n th e c h a n g e s th a t a r e o c c u rrin g b o th w ith in o u r c o u n try as w ell as in o u r p ro fe ssio n . C h a n g e s a r e b e in g m a d e re g a rd in g o u r p ro fe s sio n a l c o d e o f c o n d u c t w h ich will allo w o u r se rv ic es to b e m a d e m o re re a d ily k n o w n to th e lay p u b lic . H o w e v e r, th is fre e d o m o f a d v e rtis in g o u r p ro fe s s io n will r e q u ir e in c re a s e d s e lf d isc ip lin e so th a t w e d o n o t ta k e u n fa ir a d v a n ta g e s o f o u r co lle a g u e s. W e will also h av e to e n s u re th a t w e c o n tin u e to im p ro v e o u r s ta n d a r d s o f c lin ic al p r a c tic e a n d m a n a g e m e n t skills in o r d e r to p ro v id e e x c e lle n t h e a lth c a r e a n d d o n o t e x p o s e o u rse lv e s to e n q u irie s a n d d isc ip lin a ry ac tio n , w h ich c a n only re su lt in a n e g a tiv e a ttitu d e to w a rd s o u r p ro fe ssio n . A w o rk s h o p to d e te r m in e th e r o le o f th e p h y s io th e ra p y p ro fe s s io n in an y f u tu re h e a lth c a r e d e liv e ry sy stem h a s b e e n p la n n e d . T h e r e will c e rta in ly b e a c h a n g e in th e n a tio n a l h e a lth p o licy in th e n ew S o u th A fric a , w h ich will a ffec t all h e a lth c a r e p ro fe ssio n a ls. It w as th u s d e c id e d to a tte m p t to p la n h o w o u r p ro fe s sio n will r e s p o n d to an y s u c h c h a n g e s so th a t w e will b e a b le to c o n trib u te in a c o n s tru c tiv e a n d in ­ fo rm e d m a n n e r. T h e w o rk s h o p is s c h e d u le d fo r M a y 1993, a n d will b e fa c ilita te d by M rs R a ti M p o fu o f th e U n iv e rs ity o f Z im b a b w e . T h is is a very im p o r ta n t ev e n t a n d p h y s io th e r a ­ p ists fro m all a r e a s o f th e c o u n try a r e u r g e d to c o n trib u te th e ir ad v ice a n d su g g estio n s to th e ir re g io n a l p la n n e rs , as so o n as p o ssib le. In th e a rtic le by J M itc h e ll et al, a sim p le m e th o d o f m e a s u rin g th e d e g re e o f lu m b a r c u r v a tu re is d e s c r ib e d . U s e is m a d e o f p h o to g ra p h y a n d s ta n d a r d e q u ip m e n t fo u n d in an y LETTER TO THE EDITOR Re: U se of video recording for objective functional assessment after posterior rhizotomy. Fisiotherapie February 1992. This paper highlights the fact that the video recordings did not fulfil all the requirem ents for assessing and evaluating the changes in a child’s functional ability as a result o f the surgical procedure. It also shows that only a small proportion o f the therapists who carried out the analyses felt that they could use the video to substantiate their argum ents for the outcom e o f the surgery. The authors o f the trial express the need for establishing assessment and recording systems that are objective, valid and reproducible. W hat about using Benesh M ovement Notation to complement the video? This method o f recording hum an m ovement has its major use, so far, in the field of dance but the system is entirely neutral and has exciting potential in the clinical field. Its great strength is in being able to dem onstrate change by the comparison of serial recordings. For accuracy it relies on the acknowledged, practised eye o f the physiotherapist notator. It can be advocated for a variety o f different reasons but first it might be helpful to point ou t the inherent difference between a BMN recording and a video sequence. In the former, the observer makes an on the spot analysis o f the child’s movements while writing the notation on a stave like the one used in music; the critical assessment and evaluation are then m ade from the recording itself. In the latter a movement record is captured on tape and the analysis is carried out afterwards by reviewing the video before the assessment o r evalu­ ation can proceed. So, the notator makes the analysis while watching the child in the flesh and in full size, whereas the analysis o f the video is m ade from the frames on the tape which are flat and far less than lifesize. It can be argued that the BMN record is not objective and if clin ic al s itu a tio n as w ell a s in a n th r o p o m o r p h ic la b o ra to r ie s . P F e r r in h o et a l p ro v id e a p ro file o f p a tie n ts a tte n d in g th e p h y s io th e ra p y d e p a r tm e n t a t th e A le x a n d r a H e a lth C lin ic. T h e a u th o rs fo u n d th a t w h e n p la n n in g p rim a ry h e a lth c e n tr e s , v ery little d a t a c o n c e r n in g th e ty p e s o f c o n d itio n s p re s e n tin g in th e co m m u n ity w e re a v a ila b le . In th e su rv ey c o n d u c te d b e tw e e n 1988 a n d 1990, it w as fo u n d th a t o nly 1 % o f th e p a tie n ts a tte n d in g p h y s io th e ra p y , n e e d e d to b e r e f e r r e d to h o s p ita l. T h e a u th o rs r e c o m m e n d th a t in fo rm a tio n n e e d s to b e c o lle c te d o n a n o n g o in g b asis a n d th a t a n y p r im a ry h e a lth c a r e se rv ic e m u s t cle a rly d e fin e p rio ritie s b a s e d o n re le v a n t d a ta . W C P T A fric a is g o in g fro m s tr e n g th to s tr e n g th a n d a m o s t in fo rm a tiv e n e w sle tte r h a s b e e n d ra w n u p b y th e P re s id e n t, M rs D o rc a s M a d z iv ire a n d th e S e c re ta ry , M r s M a rle n e B r a n d fro m Z im b a b w e . T h is n e w sle tte r c o n ta in s e x tra c ts fro m th e p r o c e e d in g s o f th e L u s a k a G e n e r a l M e e tin g h e ld in M a r c h as w ell a s th e W C P T A fric a p o licy o n r e h a b ilita tio n . T h e la tte r to g e th e r w ith in fo rm a tio n o n R e h a b ilita tio n A s s is ta n t t r a i n ­ in g in Z im b a b w e a r e p r e s e n te d b e c a u s e o f th e ir p a r tic u la r re le v a n c e to S o u th A fric a . I n fo rm a tio n re g a rd in g th e M e d ic A fric a ’92 c o n fe re n c e is also p r o v id e d a n d m e m b e rs o f th e Z im b a b w e P h y s io th e ra p y A s s o c ia tio n h av e k in d ly o f fe re d f re e a c c o m m o d a tio n to p h y s io th e ra p is ts fro m o th e r c o u n trie s w h o w ish to a tte n d . P e r h a p s m e m b e rs o f S o u th e r n T ra n s v a a l B r a n c h m ay lik e to r e c ip ro c a te a t th e n e x t C o n g re s s w h ich th e y a r e h o stin g in 1993. J C Beenhakker the observer is careless the standard are jeopardised, but the video recording can also suffer in the analysis if the reader is not sufficiently skilled. The notator is free to move and observe from any angle w hereas the tape suffers from the distortion of perspective no m atter how carefully the camera is sited. T he full potential o f BMN in clinical work is dem onstrated when a series o f recordings are laid side by side so that they can be com pared. This might be either a series o f activities observed on a single day or a single function observed on different dates. By noting the changes the therapists can not only supply objective evidence but also substantiate their viewpoint. Coupled with the obvious advantages o f low cost and minimal intrusion - very little disturbance is caused and the child is thereby likely to produce a m ore “norm al” perform ance than under the eye o f the cam eras - a positive argum ent can be m ade for the notation. I would recom m end this pencil and paper approach to movem ent analysis and suggest that BM N would be a suitable tool for those looking for reliable methods o f assessing changes in hum an function. V io let A s h fo r d M C S P C lin ica l tutor, T h e B e n e s h In stitu te Bladsy 50 Fisioterapie, November 1992, dee! 48 no 4 R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )