Musings of a physiotherapist: managing practice and evidence

Some of the most common questions I get asked are “Doesn’t everyone get injured?” or “isn’t CrossFit super bad for you?”. People are usually surprised that as a physio I highly recommend CrossFit. The workouts are super functional and varied (Jillian Michaels—literally no idea what you’re talking about on Shape’s Insta). I love treating CrossFit athletes…

It has always kind of confused me how a person will need to see a physio and they then choose the one closest to their house/work etc. Choosing a physio based on proximity, hours of availability, etc. has always seemed odd to me, because the thing about our profession is that it is so incredibly varied, with different therapists having different skill sets.

I was asked by a patient about a month ago how best to turn exercise into a habit. I’ve been so stuck on this, because I think it’s different for everyone based on their personality. I’ve felt like I’ve grown and changed so much from when I was an undergrad student and first starting to exercise, that my motivation then was completely different than how it is now.

I once had a teenage patient tell me she liked the idea of becoming a physio but couldn’t get over the idea of touching and handling someone’s feet. She asked me how often I had to treat them and if she could get away with avoiding them and mostly treating other body parts lol. Unfortunately for her, feet are pretty dang important, and chances are we are going to assess them at some point if you come into the clinic. Fortunately for me, I LOVE working with feet