Pysiotherapy Essay

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This essay will demonstrate how effective communication is essential to Physiotherapy practice. There are many areas of Physiotherapy where communication is important, however, this essay will be focusing on the different communication techniques used in Paediatric Physiotherapy specifically for adolescents. Communication can be defined as ‘imparting or exchanging information by speaking, writing or through another medium’ (Stevenson A, 2010). It is part of everyday human interaction and involves the exchange of information between two or more people. The Transactional model of communication reflects what happens in everyday communication situations, whereby people act as the sender and receiver. It shows communication as an ongoing process and each person communicating will react differently depending on the environment, their personal experience, culture, self-esteem and attitude (Butland M, 2012). Verbal communication is conveying information through words by either writing or speaking and includes tone and volume of voice. Non-verbal communication is the use of body language such as gestures, facial expressions, posture, appearance and active listening to relay information to another person. Mehrabian (1971) states that 55% of communication is non-verbal, 7% is verbal and 38% is vocal (i.e. relating to tone of voice and sounds). This suggests that other than visual body language, listening and vocal expressions are also an important part of communication (Dunhill A, Elliott B and Shaw A, 2009). Physiotherapy can be described as an allied healthcare profession which aims to help restore movement and function after injury, illness or disability through the use of manual therapy, movement, exercise and education (Charter... ... middle of paper ... ...able and efficient treatment. For this to occur information must be appropriate for the patient along with the communication method. Additionally, the Physiotherapist should check patient understanding and partake in active listening (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 2012). As a Physiotherapy student, the author feels that effective communication in any Physiotherapy environment is essential. The Physiotherapist is able to gain information from the patient as to why they are receiving Physiotherapy and what they wish to achieve from their treatment. The author believes that effective communication allows a Physiotherapist to consider the aspects of the bio-psychosocial model, which can lead to better understanding of their patient. Better understanding of their patient helps the Physiotherapist to develop a trusting relationship in a treatment environment.

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