How physically demanding is working as a physio?

[killerant]

Hi Everybody,

New to the forum here and was hoping I could get some questions answered. Now I'm looking at transferring into the physio course from my current uni course due to my interest in the field however my parents are worried that the workplace will be too physically demanding for me.

Some info about me:
- just got an offer to study physio
- physically fit male who lifts (115kg DL 80kg Squat + counting)
- Did very well in highschool & first year uni bio/biomed units

Some Questions:
- What do you guys do in a typical day at the workplace?
- How physically demanding is it really? I know that massages are involved but from what I've heard they are only 30-40% of the day and you massage intelligently, however my parents have this idea that I'll be slaving away all day like like a massage therapist.
- Gov vs Pirvate, whats the difference? From what I've read, gov is lower paid but less stressful on the hands vs private
- Will a career in physio lead to long term hand issues?

Thanks for your help in advanced.

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[ajp2477]

I can't believe you have been offered a place on a Physiotherapy degree course with such little knowledge of what a physiotherapist does. Also, what do you think the amount you can lift and squat will have on your ability to perform as a physio?
Massages for 40% of the day? I suggest you need do some more research on the job and go to your local hospital and get some work experience with physios in the workplace.

[killerant]

I can't believe you have been offered a place on a Physiotherapy degree course with such little knowledge of what a physiotherapist does. Also, what do you think the amount you can lift and squat will have on your ability to perform as a physio?
Massages for 40% of the day? I suggest you need do some more research on the job and go to your local hospital and get some work experience with physios in the workplace.

Well initially I sent an application in based on how much I enjoyed the anatomy component of my biomed engineering course & my knowledge of things like foam rolling, lacrosse balls etc but wasn't really expecting to get in.

Those numbers , whilst not the greatest are a rough guide to my level of strength.

So I've got a week to decide and have been reading up on forums (which is where I got the 40% from).

Any information would be appreciated.

[ajp2477]

Well initially I sent an application in based on how much I enjoyed the anatomy component of my biomed engineering course & my knowledge of things like foam rolling, lacrosse balls etc but wasn't really expecting to get in.

Those numbers , whilst not the greatest are a rough guide to my level of strength.

So I've got a week to decide and have been reading up on forums (which is where I got the 40% from).

Any information would be appreciated.

You do realise that musculoskeletal practice is only one of many areas that a physio works in? As a student you will learn all the disciplines of Physiotherapy such as neurological, respiratory, paediatrics, orthopeadics etc. if you are just wanting to speailise in msk/sports injuries then maybe you would be better off doing sports therapy.

[killerant]

Yeah I realize that however musculoskeletal is the area that interests me the most out of all of them.

[Fyzzio]

Hi,
well in that case, you will most likely spend your days slaving behind a bench.
I would guess the percentage of massage rather to 10%.
Physically demanding in MSK is that you work standing up for most of the day and have to get into some awkward positions at times.

As stated above, be prepared that MSK makes up for only a small part of the Physio degree - a bit more if you put Orthopaedics and Trauma into the equation.
We do not lift - transferring patients (if that is what you are thinking of) is a technique that requires skill and practice not so much size or strength.
I have been working for more than 20 years and do not have hand issues, others do. Depends on your work area and the approaches you use.

Gov vs Private - that's about right. Better money in private but far more stress and higher patient per hr ratio. No weekend rota and emergency call outs in private- although, that again increases the income in hospitals. A hospital job gets you to move around a lot more and you work in a team. You will learn what you prefer.
Who knows - maybe after a 3 year degree, if your interest in biomeds persists, you'll end up in Respiratory.

Good luck,
Fyzzio

[killerant]

Thanks for the reply

Hi,
well in that case, you will most likely spend your days slaving behind a bench.
I would guess the percentage of massage rather to 10%.
Physically demanding in MSK is that you work standing up for most of the day and have to get into some awkward positions at times.Fyzzio

So allot of paper work too? I've been ringing up local physio's, going down and having a chat and some say its pretty though whilst others say its not too bad after a while. However I was having a chat with one today and she said that more and more physio schools are opening up and its gotten harder to get a job in nsw.

Gov vs Private - that's about right. Better money in private but far more stress and higher patient per hr ratio. No weekend rota and emergency call outs in private- although, that again increases the income in hospitals. A hospital job gets you to move around a lot more and you work in a team. You will learn what you prefer.
Who knows - maybe after a 3 year degree, if your interest in biomeds persists, you'll end up in Respiratory.

Is the gov to private split 50/50 or is it biased to mainly private?

[Fyzzio]

Is the gov to private split 50/50 or is it biased to mainly private?

What do you mean by split?
Workforce? last NZ Statistics note: main employer: Hospital 32%, Private Practice 58%

And yes, there is lots of paperwork. Communication, management, law/ ethics and documentation will take up a considerable part of your studies, too.

Cheers.