Care in physiotherapy: Shady business or part of evidence-based practice?

Abstract

Introduction: In physiotherapy care is usually associated with something supplementary to active treatment or rather as something physiotherapists do not primarily deal with. The aim of this article is to explore physiotherapy practice in the perspective of care. Our point of departure is a case from clinical practice and the ensuing reflections by the physiotherapist. Main part: The analysis is framed by an origin myth, Martin Heidegger’s interpretation of this myth, and Annemarie Mol’s concept of the logic of care. We ask whether caring aspects in physiotherapy may be underestimated by the therapists themselves, associated with something shameful and unmentionable, and even characterized as somewhat shady business. End part: By valuing professional judgements and the patient’s needs and preferences, as well as evidence from different kinds of knowledge and research, we argue that care is part of evidenced-based physiotherapy.

Keywords

• physiotherapy
• care
• evidence-based practice