physiotherapist vs physician

[miss_jenny]

hey,

i was just wondering what are the main differences between physiotherapist and physician (other than physicans being able to prescribe meds)..

i mean they both diagnose and treat patients, but why would a post-grad med degree take 4years whilst a physio post-grad (masters) degree take only 2 years?

what are some of the limits of what a physiotherapist can do compared with a physician?

And vice versa?

thanks.

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[gcoe]

I know it is a bit hard to discern the difference. This is to some effect to do with historical development of two seperate professions.

Physiotherapy is concerned with abnormal movement and how body systems play a role in that abnormal movement. Physiotherapists do diagnose movement related problems and use treatment approaches that are physical in nature: exercise, manual therapy (massage, mobilisations and manipulation), electrophysical agents such as heat, ice, various electrical treatments) and motor skill training as well as educational approaches. Physiotherapists work in a variety of areas such as orthopaedics, neurology, and cardiopulmonary rehab. but the areas of practice are much more limited than a medical professional. Physiotherapists do not perform any form drug prescription or surgery.

In contrast medical professionals are involved in medical diagnosis over a much wider range of conditions and so there are all the traditional specialities, some that physios contribute to and some that physios don't. While medical doctors are not barred from using physical treatments on the whole it isn't part of their repertoire and they don't have the time to use these treatments - the time involved is often a factor. Medical doctor's are primarily diagnosticians and medical and surgical treatments follow on from diagnosis.

Because the breadth of medical training is so much broader than physiotherapy general practitioners cover a little of everything but nothing in great detail, and specialists concentrate on one area in great detail but leave other areas behind.

Physios also tend to specialise but my sense is that physio specialities are not so defined and seperate. In practice this means that if you have a musculoskeletal problem the physio is often better qualified to treat this than going to the general practitioner - musculoskeletal physios see musculoskeletal problems all day and tend to know how to best rehabilitate patients unless medical or surgical intervention is warranted. Likewise if you want to learn how to walk again after a stroke, improve your breathing with asthma, or how to control your bladder better after childbirth, then physios are the people to see because exercise and movement is going to get you there.

These divisions of labour are usually not a problem for patients. Medical practitioners and physios enjoy a close working relationship and refer on to each other patients who they believe would do better elsewhere. If a physio is concerned that they are seeing something that is not the usual pattern or may indicate serious pathology such as cancer they will refer them quickly back to the Dr and the Dr doesn't have time, and is usually not very skilled at doing such things as prescribing exercise and manual therapy and will refer the patient on.