David Nicholl’s recent blog posts on the awkward relationship between sex and physiotherapy made me think about another aspect of physiotherapy that may be affected by this issue. To work with me on this I contacted colleagues from the WCPT HIV/AIDS special interest group within the Network for HIV/AIDS, Oncology and Palliative Care. Physiotherapy, HIV and Stigma by Darren Brown (UK), Hellen Myezwa (South Africa), and Jenny Setchell (Australia) The purpose of this post is to highlight the stigma associated with HIV and its relevance in physiotherapy. This post also offers some resources for physiotherapists to increase their understanding of HIV and discusses possible ways forward for … [Read more...] about Physiotherapy, HIV and Stigma
The social model of disability and physiotherapy: Some personal reflections from Mike Oliver
Many of you will know of the Social Model of Disability, and some will have followed the work of its founder Mike Oliver. We approached Mike to write a post for criticalphysio blog a few weeks ago. This is Mike's response to the challenge of the social model of physiotherapy for future practice. It's more than thirty years this year since I published a book introducing the social model of disability onto an unsuspecting world (Oliver 1983). The idea behind it stemmed from the Fundamental Principles of Disability document first published in the mid-1970s (UPIAS 1976) which argued that we were not disabled by our impairments by the disabling barriers we faced in society. A couple of years … [Read more...] about The social model of disability and physiotherapy: Some personal reflections from Mike Oliver
Research update: Lifelong activity, chronic pain, therapatients, children’s embodiment, prostheses and body image
A few interesting new research studies have come out this week that I thought might be of interest. Each of these has some interesting connections with critical physiotherapy. Click on the links in the title of each article for more information. Characteristics of lifelong physically active older adults Sheryl L. Chatfield Abstract Most adults in developed countries fail to accrue enough regular physical activity to prevent or decrease the impact of chronic diseases associated with aging. I conducted semistructured interviews with 16 purposely selected older adults ranging in age from 53 to 70 years to explore the practices of successful lifelong adherents to physical activity. I … [Read more...] about Research update: Lifelong activity, chronic pain, therapatients, children’s embodiment, prostheses and body image
Interviewing women: A contradiction in terms
Many years ago I read a book chapter that would have a profound effect on how I thought about my practice as a health professional, and dramatically shape the future direction for my research and the way I thought about the world generally. That chapter was titled Interviewing women: A contradiction in terms and it was written by Anne Oakley. Oakley has just published a follow up paper titled Interviewing Women Again: Power, Time and the Gift, and reading it reminded me why it had such a profound impact on me 20 years ago. In the early 1990s I was working at The Children's Hospital in Birmingham (UK) and studying a masters degree in research methodology. The degree was life-changing. … [Read more...] about Interviewing women: A contradiction in terms
Are we gatekeepers, or locksmiths?
This post originally appeared as a reflection at usr/space, after reading David's post on the profession as a gated community. It got me thinking about how the metaphors we use inform our thinking and practice. David Nicholls recently blogged about how we might think about access to physiotherapy education, and offers the metaphor of a gated community as one possibility. The staff act as the guards at the gateway to the profession and the gate is a threshold across which students pass only when they have demonstrated the right to enter the community. This got me thinking about the metaphors we use as academics, particularly those that guide how we think about our role as examiners. David's … [Read more...] about Are we gatekeepers, or locksmiths?
Staying healthy in the 18th century
Sanitary Systems Dumoulin, the physician, observed at his death that "he left behind him two great physicians, regimen and river water." Villars, the French quack, who, before the middle of the last century, made a fortune by an almost justifiable fraud, kept thousands of patients in good health by administering to them nitre dissolved in Seine water (sold at five francs a bottle), eat moderately, drink temperately, take plenty of bodily exercise, go to and rise from bed early, and avoid mental anxiety. And in the same way the English quack, Graham, whilst he presided over the "Temple of Health," prohibited to his patients the use of the "deadly poisons and weakeners of both body and soul, … [Read more...] about Staying healthy in the 18th century
Why are there no physiotherapists practicing inside video games?
Survivor, a short poem by Roger McGough: Everyday, I think about dying. About disease, starvation, violence, terrorism, war, the end of the world. It helps keep my mind off things. That poem always makes me smile. I used to have it on my office wall for the times when I thought I was taking myself too seriously. I was reminded of it after last week's rather heavy blogposts about physiotherapy and sex. So I thought I'd post about something a bit more lighthearted today. In the spirit of Roger McGough then, this post is about video violence, simulated injury and death. … [Read more...] about Why are there no physiotherapists practicing inside video games?