The great American philosopher, Hilary Putnam, died a few days ago (13 March) at the grand age of 89, leaving behind an amazing legacy of ideas and thoughtful inquiry (obituary here). Putnam was someone who applied philosophical ideas from the natural sciences to areas as diverse as religion, ethics and aesthetics and was a major influence on analytical philosophy in the second half of the 20th century. One of Putnam's most famous sayings was that "Any philosophy that can be put in a nutshell belongs in one." Reading this again the other day made me reflect on one of the longstanding paradoxes of physiotherapy - namely the desire to pin it down; identify it so that people will (finally) … [Read more...] about Physiotherapy – in a nutshell
Capturing physiotherapy
One of the biggest challenges facing the physiotherapy profession, for much of its history, has been the necessity of defining what it is and what it isn't. Prior to World War I, masseuses struggled to show that they could provide a legitimate, trusted and affordable alternative to the poorly trained hacks, prostitutes and doctors who practiced a few rudimentary physical therapies. After WWI the focus shifted to being an ally to doctors in the development of rehabilitation. By the middle of the 20th century, definitions of physiotherapy became embedded in legislation that gave us access to publicly funded health care and some protection of title. By the 1960s, people were agitating … [Read more...] about Capturing physiotherapy