The business of manual therapy.

General medical practitioners, and now registered nurses, ( who have been granted greater authority to perform certain tasks that were once the sole domain of medical practitioners,) very often decide, that in the event of a percieved acute musculo-skeletal discomfort in their client, the next port of call should be a physiotherapist.

I don't believe there is a statute or regulation somewhere that says this is what must happen - but it is generally the case in Australia. Now, you, as a manual therapist, might complain about this bias among yourselves, but change will not come about, at least for the present, for some very obvious reasons.

Let me list some of these reasons for you to consider, and discuss.

I keep a close watch on all of the major business directories in my part of the country, pertaining to manual therapy, and massage therapy. Under these two headings, I can see several sub-groups:

hot-stone therapy,

reorganization of the myofascial system,

reflexology,

aromatherapy,

trigger point massage,

reiki,

myotherapy,

onsen,

holistic,

dry needling,

chinese cupping,

dorn spinal massage ,

deep tissue massage ,

scenar pain relief,

shiatsu,

vibrational massage,

hawaiian massage or lomi-lomi,

cranio-sacral , and rolfing.

I haven't exhausted the offerings - these are but a few. If the medical practitioner, or the duty nurse, or a rehabilitation officer has an idea that simple, yet competent, manual therapy, would be of assistance to the injured client - what is he/she supposed to think when confronted with this amazing array of options ?

Get real about your profession, possums - these fringe elements are dragging your status down by confusing the injured client with this absurd labelling; we don't want to hurl accusations at the other groups, but, we really have to take steps to provide separation between the two distinctive camps.