What do Physiotherapists do?
Physiotherapists treat people of all ages with a wide range of needs, helping and advising both carers and clients in ways to help themselves. Physiotherapists use various skills and techniques including giving advice, movement and therapeutic exercise, education, manual therapies, provision of orthotics and mobility aids to relieve pain, aid recovery and restore function.
Physiotherapists use their knowledge and skills to help you to:
- Manage musculoskeletal conditions such as spinal and joint problems and arthritic conditions
- Recover from injuries following an accident or sporting activity
- Recover after hip, knee and other joint replacement surgeries
- Regaining and maintaining mobility and independence
- Prevent falls and maintain independence in older people
- Management of neurological conditions such as Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, Cerebral Palsy
- Manage some respiratory conditions
- Manage persistent pain
- Manage male and female pelvic health and pregnancy related symptoms
- Help people at home to lead independent lives and help prevent admission to hospital
Specialist Areas of Service
Physiotherapists work in the following areas;
- Adult Musculoskeletal Service
- Advanced Physiotherapy Practice
- Children and Young People’s
- Community older peoples services/Day Hospital
- First Contact Physiotherapy (GP practice)
- ICASS Community Care
- Intensive Care
- Learning Disability Team
- Lymphoedema
- Medical
- Mental Health
- Neurological Rehabilitation
- Orthopaedics
- Pain Management
- Palliative care
- Pelvic Health Service
- Respiratory Care/ Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Surgical
- Vascular
Thinking about becoming a physiotherapist?
Physiotherapy is a scientific, degree course of 4 years duration for the BSc option and 2 years for the MSc pre registration course. Some universities also now offer a 4 year MPhys courses. The following Scottish universities offer various courses to study Physiotherapy.
Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Edinburgh Napier University
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
