Trust me, I'm a doctor...

Posted by Nell Mead at 12:00 on 20 Jan 2011

I was going to demonstrate a simple exercise for back pain today, but I've just seen this article in the Daily Mail online and it's taken priority.  Normal service will be resumed very soon!

To summarise, it seems that this chap "Dr Charles Ahme" - a 50-year-old football referee with an online first aid qualification - set up a "physiotherapy and sports injuries practice" in Levenhulme, Manchester.  Wearing a white coat, he asked female patients to strip naked and then massaged them, in some cases indecently.  He wasn't investigated until a GB athlete visited his practice for treatment and realised that his practice wasn't exactly standard.  She reported him and he is now apparently "facing a lengthy prison sentence".  Good.

OK, so where do I start?  How do you choose a physiotherapist, or in fact any healthcare practitioner?

• Word of mouth is a sensible place to start.  Ask around: if your friend or colleague has seen a really good practitioner, the chances are that they may be able to treat you well, too.  Most of my patients come to see me because one of their friends has recommended me.
• Check their website - most good practices have one these days, and you should be able to get a feel for what's available: does the therapist offer services you think you will need, and do you like the tone of the site?  If you like what they write, the chances are that you will like the therapist.  Good rapport between patient and therapist is an excellent first step to successful treatment, as if you trust your therapist, you will relax and the treatment will be more beneficial.  Most websites will also include testimonials from past patients and, provided that these are genuine, they will also give you an idea of the therapists' areas of particular expertise.
• Chartered status is no guarantee of quality, but it does at least mean that the therapist has been received the training that they say they have, and that their insurance and qualifications are up to date!  You should check that your therapist is registered with the Health Professions Council.  Physiotherapists should also be registered with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; any private physiotherapist registered here or here is a CSP member.
• Instinct is possibly the most important thing.  Don't automatically trust the therapist who wears a white coat!  We are programmed to do this, but as Stanley Milgram showed in his famous experiment, someone who wears a white coat (or other uniform or clothing that denotes professional status) is not necessarily what he seems.  The therapist should greet you, make you feel at home and always explain what they are about to do to you, what you are doing and why they are doing it.  You should always be able to ask questions, and if you feel uncomfortable at any time, tell them so and they should stop what they are doing immediately and discuss it with you, modifying any treatment so that you are comfortable with it.  If they don't, or if you are not happy with the treatment in any way, let them know; and if you're dissatisfied with their response, you are perfectly within your rights to raise your concerns to the Health Professions Council who will investigate.

Please don't get taken in by a bogus therapist!

For an appointment with Nell (a totally genuine Chartered Physiotherapist with years of experience treating musculoskeletal injuries!) please contact us or send her an e-mail.  She is available at The Foundry on Mondays and Tuesdays, and at The Back Shop on Wednesdays and Thursdays.