Fysioterapeuten (Oct 2020)
How to tailor physiotherapy practice for vulnerable groups? Physiotherapy approaches elucidated through theories of recovery and social awareness
Abstract
Introduction: In 2020, a new national guideline for the bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy will be introduced. In addition, new guidelines for all health and social education (RETHOS) will be introduced. These guidelines emphasize that bachelor candidates should have knowledge of social and health challenges such as neglect of care, violence, substance abuse and socio-economic problems. Main part: The article describes how physiotherapists can better meet the health challenges of people who are in active substance (ab)use, based in theories of recovery, pedagogy related to health and social awareness. Studies show that people with a drug addiction often have extensive and complex health issues that physiotherapists have good knowledge about, and which are conditions in which physical therapy is indicated. Nevertheless, a Norwegian survey of living conditions shows that physiotherapy is not used by people with poor health and accompanying low social capital. Physiotherapists should strive to be better equipped to meet and get involved with these clients by providing their professional competence to people who neither know how to ask for help, nor what they need help for. Moreover, the authors argue that the approach towards these clients should start as a social process based in social and physical interaction rather than based in a relatively rigid structure of functional and physical examinations, testing and assessments. Conclusion: An important message in this article is how recovery can be understood as a nonlinear process that starts with establishing a respectful reciprocal arena of interaction on the user’s premises where the person concerned explores how meaning can be created in his/her own life through curiosity, trial and error, and dialogue, and that physiotherapy can contribute in this process. The authors are nuancing how a recovery perspective can assist the physiotherapists in acquiring better strategies towards people with drug addiction challenges, and thus suggest how the new guidelines can be implemented.
