Today is World Physical Therapy Day, I am one and I am proud of being a Physical Therapist.
I have chosen, many years ago, to undergo specific studies and training to become a Physical Therapist although it was not totally clear to me what was involved with and what I was getting into.
It occurs to me often that a lot of people are not too aware of what we do, how we do it and why unless they get sick and that at a certain point, if they are lucky, they are referred to or somehow they turned to us for help.
We work closely with patients of all kinds and who are or have been affected by a desease or injury or simply recovering from a bad back pain.
Today I would like to think of all my collegues who tomorrow will go to work in a hospital or private clinic or nursing home, ultimately it’ s not important WHERE but what really should count is that one of us will be there to help a lady, an old man or a child to regain strength, self confidence and, why not, dignity.
Of course there is no magic, no tricks, no shortcuts only hard work and professional competence to motivate sombody to get back on their feet if possible or to manage at their best any possible outcome after a physical set back.
Tomorrow, like every other day, a Physical Therapist will help Doctors and Nurses in an intensive care unit, or will help a patient after a knee replacement, or even help another one to use a wheelchair or may be he will deal with somebody who has had a stroke and he/she is struggling to sit up straight or to use his/her arm and leg again.
The most important thing is that also thanks to Phisical Therapists many patients can be guided through a path of recovery and rehabilitation which can make their lives manageable or as it happens in many lucky cases almost back to normal although we (Physical Therapists) know that normality is sometimes a very abstract concept sometimes.
We are not special people with special skills on the contrary but we study, train and mostly try to keep up our skills and competence in order to do our job properly, sometimes in a hospital, private clinic or on a soccer pitch or racing track.
It doesn’ matter where who with and how, what should really count is that we always do it at our best with respect for ethics, dignity, pivacy and possibly with a smile.
Happy World Physical Therapy Day everyone.……
Alfredo Dente
Phisical Therapist and Manual Therapist