In the 5th of this series on the key principles of the biomedical model we look at reductionism, or the idea of dividing the body and health into systems and structures. So far we have covered specific aetiology, germ theory, Cartesian Dualism, objectivity and experimentation, and there are two more pieces in the biomedical jigsaw after this week’s look at one of the most important structural elements of healthcare practice. Early on in the history of medicine it was realised that the body and health were so complex that they would be better understood by being broken down into component parts. Ancient and pre-modern notions of health and the body had concentrated on broadly holistic … [Read more...] about What is the biomedical model #5
Nicky Wilson – Meaning in action – 30DoS #26
In this post, CPN Executive member and physiotherapy lecturer Nicky Wilson discusses Hendrik Wagenaar's book Meaning in Action: Interpretation and dialogue in policy analysis. Policies are conventionally seen as a way to solve problems. As such, they are action driven; they direct our thoughts and behaviours to produce certain ends. Public policy is therefore about power and, unsurprisingly, is an area rife with contestation! In Meaning in Action: Interpretation and Dialogue in Policy Analysis (2011), Hendrik Wagenaar highlights the deeply pluralistic and value-laden nature of policy making, implementation and interpretation, and brings to the fore the benefits of interpretive … [Read more...] about Nicky Wilson – Meaning in action – 30DoS #26
World Confederation of Physical Therapy Congress 2015
I had an absolute whirlwind day at the first day of the WCPT Congress in Singapore, starting at 7am with the Mental Health networking session and finally heading back to the hotel at 11.30pm from the @PTpubnight at the Berlin Bar. The best way to catch some of the feeling of being here is through twitter – have a look at the hashtag #WCPT2015 for dips into most of the sessions plus some social snippets as well. The overwhelming feeling here is that it is wonderful to be in such a global environment with delegates being able to learn from each other and constantly challenge local assumptions we make about what it is to ‘be a physiotherapist’. What follows are some personal highlights from … [Read more...] about World Confederation of Physical Therapy Congress 2015
Critical physiotherapy research update
Depression embodied: an ambiguous striving against fading Louise Danielsson and Susanne Rosberg Although depression is associated to physical discomfort, meanings of the body in depression are rarely addressed in clinical research. Drawing on the concept of the lived body, this study explores depression as an embodied phenomenon. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the analysis of narrative-based interviews with 11 depressed adults discloses a thematic structure of an embodied process of an ambiguous striving against fading. Five subthemes elicit different dimensions of this process, interpreted as disabling or enabling: feeling estranged, feeling confined, feeling … [Read more...] about Critical physiotherapy research update