Perceptions plagued by prejudices: knowledge and information as a
weapon of deconstruction and instruction.
The ocean of disciplines that comprise the area of health has a very wide and
varied dimension; among these we can mention medicine, nursing, pharmacy,
nutrition and not least: physiotherapy. This was defined in 1958 by the World Health
Organization as "the science of treatment through physical means, therapeutic
exercise, massage therapy and electrotherapy" (OMS, 1958). It allows, through
instrumental and manual means, the recovery of people with psychosomatic,
somatic and organic ailments, in order to promote their evolution.
Its consolidation arose as a result of a historical struggle and achievements
obtained in the last century that allowed it to be identified with its own characteristics,
different components of its nature, irreplaceable qualities and a demand for services
that positioned it as a career of higher professional education. Of course, its
particular elements varied according to the social transformations and evolution of
the times.
Now, emphasizing the exercise of this profession, it is often stigmatized and
undervalued; Society tends to brand professionals in this sector as "professionals
who only massage and rub", also this, supposes a hasty perception and a non-
existent erroneous connotation of this profession. Physiotherapy cannot be confused
or interpreted as a synonym for “masseur”, because the latter is usually used for
relaxing, aesthetic and pleasure purposes; while the physiotherapeutic discipline
goes beyond muscle treatment; This affects fields such as traumatology, neurology,
cardiology and even: mental health. The radius of action is much broader and implies
a degree of qualification in the area due to the transversal nature that it results.
A physiotherapist can work in hospitals, research centers, clinics both in
primary and specialized care. In addition, they use their own techniques and the
nature of this branch of health, such as kinesiotherapy, massage therapy, orthopedic
physiotherapy, neurological, obstetric, among others, presenting their cooperative
and confident thoughts in making decisions when performing treatments or
interventions to patients. Physical therapy is not only limited to "massaging" the
back.
Nowadays, it is imperative to continue deepening it because the growing
demand of pathologies, diseases, multiple obligations that activate high levels of
stress for an average body, changing lifestyles to the needs and all those causes
that degenerate into harmful consequences for the human body, need to be treated;
therefore, it is necessary to continue developing physical therapy as a profession
with a leading role in changing the social reality and the health of people. Thus, then,
it can be explained how physiotherapy is necessary and broad in its application; its
role cannot be reduced pejoratively (without pretending to disrespect the body of
personnel dedicated to massage).
In that sense, the human being has no tolerance and tends to be an individual
who does not repair the consequences of what has been said and done. A culture
of disrespect and competition has been sown among the multitude (the system that
governs, customs, perceptions, etc, also have an influence); of loss of values, of
discrediting, of demerit and prejudice; and the guild of physical therapists has not
been the exception; they have also been a strict regime of unscrupulous thoughts
that seek to reduce the transcendence of their profession to "they only do
massages".
to end,, it is imperative to discard the myths, want to be informed and initiate
an optimistic change destroying the mentalities among those who make up society
and act as judges to enter to say which discipline is more important than another.
Isaac Newton said it well, "what we know is a drop of water, what we ignore is the
ocean" (page 1).
