It is a healthcare professional who helps individuals improve their physical function and manage pain through various therapeutic techniques. They assess and treat patients with conditions that affect movement and physical function, often due to injury, illness or disability.

1. Bachelor's Degree in Physiotherapy:

• Typically a 4 year full time program

• Courses cover subjects such as anatomy, physiology, biomecahnics, pathology, pharmacology and clinical practice. Students also em]ngage in hands-on clincal training in various healthcare settings. 

2. Honours and Post graduate studies:

• This allows physiotherapists to gain a special interest in areas like sports, neuro, orthopedics, paediatrics or cardiopulmonary. 

1. Clinical training:

During undergraduate studies, students must complete clinical placementsin hospitals, clinics and community health centres. This hands-on training is crucial for gaining practical skills and experience.

2. Registration with Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA):

All physiotherapists must register with HPCSA to parctice legally in South Africa. The HPCSA ensures that all practicing physiotherapists meet the required standards of training and professional conduct.

3. Continuous professional development (CPD):

Physiotherapists are required to participate in ongoing professional development activities to maintain their registration with HPCSA. This can be done by attending workshops, conferences and additional training courses. 

Physiotherapists proudly hold first-line practitioner status, meaning you can skip the referral and take the direct route to your physiotherapist. They are able to assess and diagnose various conditions by performing  detailed assessments. They are also able to refer on to a specialist if the condition is out of their scope of practice. Thay can also refer for diagnostice scans for further investigation and provide medical notes for work.  

You are greeted by your physiotherapist and invited into the consultation room where the session will take place.

The session begins with obtaining consent for treatment, which is then followed by a subjective assessment. You will be given the opportunity to tell your physiotherapist the reason for your visit an dhow they may be of assisstance. You will be asked various questions to ensure a detailed assessment is documented.

Red flags need to be ruled out by your physiotherapist. These are issues of concern that may be out of their scope of practice and may require further investigation or referral to another discipline. 

You will be given a body chart to help identify the areas that sre affected and to provide a description of the symptoms. An objective assessment is then performed. These are tests that help identify structures that may be affected, they help reproduce a comparable sign that may be tested again at a later stage and they help provide a confirmation of diagnosis. 

After a diagnosis is made, a treatment plan is then discussed with the patient which will be based on SMART goals. Treatment options may vary, taking into consideration multiple factors. 

It is in the best interest of the patient that they are well informed about their condition, the goals of treatment and their road to recovery. This may include education on ergonomics, lifestyle modification and guidelines on return to sport/hobbies. 

We recommend wearing comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that allows for easy movement. Depending on the area being treated, you may be asked to expose the specific region. In ythis case, shorts are ideal for lower limb issues, and a vest/tank top is helpful for shoulder or upper back concerns. If you're unsure, feel free to bring a change of clothes. Comfortable, closed shoes (like trainers) are also a good idea, especially for sessions that involve exercise or movement-based rehab.