This is part of our 'Pain Treatment in China' series.
In the 15 years that he has been practicing medicine in Spain, France and China, Dr Eric Yue, who's the founder, managing partner and chief physical therapist at the clinic by International Rehabilitation Specialists, says the best doctors that he's worked with are ones who show more empathy to their patients. He says, "When you're dealing with severe injuries, physical therapists see their patients more frequently than any other medical professionals, and we get to know them very well. In my profession, at the end of a workday, I feel like I've done something good for the community."
Physical therapy (or physiotherapy) is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialty that remediates impairments and promotes mobility, function, and quality of life through examination, diagnosis, prognosis and education for prevention, and physical intervention by using physical agents such as manual therapy and exercise-based therapy.
Modern physical therapy (PT) was established at the end of the 19th century and institutionalized during World War I. Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC established the first school of physical therapy following the outbreak of the war to help wounded soldiers — many of whom sustained serious injuries that required amputations — transition back into society.
"In places like China, you see people getting surgeries for conditions that they shouldn't get surgeries for, which is sad and not the proper way to practice medicine."
But in modern day Shanghai and other metropolises around the world, physical therapists are able to treat anything from relatively minor conditions such as chronic pain to helping post-surgical and trauma patients with musculoskeletal damages regain mobility and functionality. Within the discipline of PT, there are many specialties including trauma, orthopedics, sports, neurology, pediatrics and geriatrics (Yue specializes in the first three). While chiropractors, osteopaths and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors can all treat non-emergency and chronic pain cases, physical therapists are the only ones who should work with patients requiring post-surgical or traumatic care.
"In most Western countries, PT is the frontline conservative, non-invasive medical approach for pain management that is drug-free," says Yue. A course of PT treatment lasts anywhere from few sessions to six months, which gives the body enough time to do its own partial healing. Only once all resources have been exhausted and the patients have yet to improve will therapists refer them to other doctors to prescribe medication or recommend surgery as the last resort. In most of the cases, according to Yue, that is not necessary.
He adds, "In places like China, you see people getting surgeries for conditions that they shouldn't get surgeries for, which is sad and not the proper way to practice medicine."
Dr Eric Yue, Chief Physical Therapist, Founder and Managing Partner, the clinic
Manual therapy (like massage, myofascial techniques and manipulation) and exercise-based therapy are the two most common techniques used in modern PT, while other physical agents such as ultrasound, laser and shockwave therapy are also weapons in a physical therapist's arsenal. But before prescribing a treatment plan, Yue notes that the first part of the consultation process is actually the most important step.
"When a patient comes for a consultation, the therapist has to do an anamnesis (an interview about the pain — Where does it hurt? When did it start? Is it associated with a recent trauma or a lifestyle or postural habit? etc.) and it might take 30, 40 or 50 questions. The more detailed it is, the sharper the diagnosis," Yue explains. "Diagnosis is an art. It's how you get to the root of the problem. If you see 10 cases of lower back pain, you might have to prescribe 10 different treatments based on the cause. That's the beauty and complexity of the medical approach in physical therapy."
Find out more about the clinic at www.theclinic.international
See more stories in our 'Pain Treatment in China' series.
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