There were three different main jobs in my life, none of which I wanted. I happened to be in the right place and at the right time for those careers and enjoyed them all.
One girl who knew what she wanted to do from an early age and chased her dream was her daughter’s friend Sarah. When she was young, Sarah wanted her to be an astronaut or pilot, but she soon realized that it was difficult to achieve this. When she was 14 and it was time to decide which subject to study at her school, Sarah decided she wanted to be a physiotherapist.
Sarah is one of the kindest, kindest and most compassionate people I have ever met, and she is very well suited to the profession she has chosen.
The experience of my physiotherapy session (not Sarah) was to spend only 15 minutes in the cubicle of the TENS machine. A 10-minute exercise and a 5-minute massage could probably be done just as effectively at home.
Physiotherapists must treat different people at the same time under time constraints, which makes it difficult for them to reach their full potential when entering and exiting the cubicle. .. This is Sarah’s difference. She spends at least one hour per session on one patient at the Physioviver Physiotherapy Clinic in Albufeira. She allows her to develop a personalized treatment plan for each patient and carry it out to the end.
After a four-year course, Sarah graduated from Sylves’ Piaget Center in 2020 and suddenly realized she was in the middle of a pandemic. There, her first internship was to help a critically ill patient intubated on a hospital ventilator.
I remember wondering how miserable and painful this was for her at the time, but Sarah told me that she loved her work. She was so happy to help the patient that she became interested in cardiopulmonary physiotherapy. Patients are often in a coma, so much care is to massage and roll over to prevent bedsores.
“Also make sure that the equipment that keeps them working is working properly. When the patient begins to wake up, I work with them, then work with them, breathe again, and muscles. Wasted, so I taught them how to get up and finally move around. Full mobility again. It was very rewarding to see them getting better. “
Sarah often takes additional courses to improve or specialize her knowledge. Until I chatted, I was unaware that there were many areas of physiotherapy.
So what does a physiotherapist do? The function of the physiotherapist is to help the patient manage pain and improve mobility and motor function. I thought it was just because of fractures and mobility issues, but there’s still a lot more to do in this profession.
Did you know that there are four different areas of physiotherapy?
Sarah explains: “Musculoskeletal physiotherapy works on bones and muscles after an accident or stroke for back problems, trauma, and restricted movement. We teach patients how to deal with pain and exercise ability. Shows how to exercise to increase and perform work to avoid future injuries such as repetitive hyperactivity syndrome.
“Neurological physiotherapy aimed at addressing the nervous system can help people with stroke, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. We are outside the body. This type of physiotherapy also includes exercise for improvement in the patient’s cognitive functions such as memory and attention.
“Dermatological physiotherapy is intended for people who need treatment for cosmetic reasons such as scarring, post-surgery skin condition, acne, eczema, circulatory disorders, and even wrinkles and sagging.
“Finally, I have my favorite cardiorespiratory physiotherapy. It is used for respiratory problems such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, respiratory infections and pneumonia.
“All these types of physiotherapy are available in the clinic where I work. I specialize in treating patients with respiratory problems while undergoing all those trainings. Over the past two years, we have noticed an increase in the number of children developing respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis, due to a pandemic that prevented them from fully developing their immune system. It may be. “
Sarah has also seen her work change as more and more people need post-covid rehabilitation to increase the strength and resistance of the lungs and heart muscle damaged by the virus.
Sarah likes to interact with people, especially children and the elderly, and spending time with older patients isn’t just about working on physical recovery, but just being there to talk and talk to them. I am especially aware that it is very large. She is part of her job and is the basis of the patient’s recovery. “This is my reward and I love the work I do because I see my patients improve and know that their progress has evolved and I have given them a better quality of life. That’s why. “
Sarah works at the Albufeira Clinic, but she also has personal treatment to visit her patients at home. This is especially useful if the patient is unable to travel for treatment.
One day Sara wants to set up her own clinic with a partner who is also a physiotherapist. Together, they want to provide professional patient care that they believe is appropriate for their patients. But just as I like Sarah, I hope she never needs her service!
So now you know!
Sara speaks English and Portuguese and can be contacted [email protected]
To Isobel Costa
|| [email protected]
Isobel Costa works full time and lives on a farm with a variety of pet animals. In her leisure time, she enjoys photography, research and writing.
www.portugalresident.com/growing-up-to-be-a-physiotherapist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=growing-up-to-be-a-physiotherapist Growing up as a physiotherapist
