Difference Between Medical and Physiotherapy Diagnosis

Summary

In this video, Dr. Tammy emphasizes the importance of focusing on physiotherapy diagnosis over medical diagnosis to address functional impairments. She argues that while medical diagnoses are crucial, they often leave patients with limited treatment options. By concentrating on functional limitations like muscle weakness or joint mobility issues, she believes physiotherapy can offer more effective solutions and pain relief. Dr. Tammy provides an example comparing two patients with knee osteoarthritis but different functional impairments, highlighting the need for tailored treatment plans.

Takeaways

• 👩‍⚕️ The speaker is a doctor of physiotherapy.
• 🎯 The channel aims to shift focus from medical diagnoses to physiotherapy diagnoses.
• 🏥 Medical diagnoses are important for understanding prognosis and recovery timelines.
• 🚫 Relying solely on medical diagnoses can lead to inadequate treatment, often just pain management.
• 💪 Shifting focus to functional impairments can lead to more effective treatment plans.
• 👥 Examples given: Two patients with knee osteoarthritis but different functional impairments.
• 🔍 The approach is more patient-centered and holistic.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Exercises are suggested to improve functional impairments, potentially reducing pain.
• 📚 More information is available in a link provided in the description.
• 📧 Encouragement for viewers to ask questions or raise concerns.

Q & A

What is the main objective of Tammy's channel?

The main objective of Tammy's channel is to shift the focus from medical diagnoses to physiotherapy diagnoses that concentrate on functional impairments.

Why does Tammy believe medical diagnosis is important?

Tammy believes medical diagnosis is important because it provides valuable information about the prognosis of a condition and the timeline for recovery.

What is the issue Tammy sees with relying solely on medical diagnoses?

Tammy sees an issue when clients are given a medical diagnosis but are not surgical candidates and are not referred to a physical therapist, leaving them with limited pain management options.

How does focusing on functional impairments help in physiotherapy?

Focusing on functional impairments helps in physiotherapy by identifying specific exercises to improve those impairments, which can eventually alleviate pain.

What is an example of functional impairments mentioned in the script?

An example of functional impairments mentioned is a lack of strength in a certain muscle or a reduction in range of motion in certain joints.

Why is it important to consider functional impairments in physiotherapy?

Considering functional impairments is important because it allows for a more patient-centered and holistic approach, addressing the specific limitations that patients experience.

What is the difference between Patient A and Patient B in the example provided?

Patient A complains of knee pain with deep squatting and walking, while Patient B complains of pain only when going downstairs, indicating different functional impairments despite the same medical diagnosis.

Why might focusing only on the medical diagnosis be insufficient?

Focusing only on the medical diagnosis might be insufficient because it can miss the specific functional impairments that are the primary reasons patients seek help.

What approach does Tammy use in her clinic with clients?

Tammy uses an approach that focuses on functional impairments and identifies exercises to improve those limitations in her clinic with clients.

How can viewers get more information about the subject discussed in the script?

Viewers can get more information about the subject by clicking on the link provided in the video description.

What should viewers do if they have questions or concerns about the content?

Viewers should feel free to contact Tammy if they have any questions or concerns regarding the content.

Outlines

00:00

🏥 Shifting Focus from Medical to Physiotherapy Diagnosis

Tammy, a doctor of physiotherapy, introduces her channel's objective to shift the focus from medical diagnoses like osteoarthritis to physiotherapy diagnoses that concentrate on functional impairments like muscle weakness or limited joint mobility. She acknowledges the importance of medical diagnoses for understanding a condition's prognosis and recovery timeline. However, she points out that a medical diagnosis alone often leaves patients with only pain management options if they are not surgical candidates. Tammy emphasizes the importance of addressing functional impairments through targeted exercises to alleviate pain. She uses the example of two patients with knee osteoarthritis, highlighting how their different functional impairments require different approaches. The channel aims to provide patient-centered and holistic advice through focusing on functional limitations and suggesting exercises to improve them.

Keywords

💡Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy, also known as physical therapy, is a healthcare profession that focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a wide range of physical conditions. In the video, the speaker is a doctor of physiotherapy and aims to shift the focus from medical diagnoses to physiotherapy diagnoses, highlighting the importance of functional impairments over medical labels.

💡Medical Diagnosis

A medical diagnosis is the process of identifying a disease or condition through examination and testing. In the context of the video, the speaker mentions medical diagnoses such as osteoarthritis of the knee and herniated discs of the lumbar spine to emphasize that while they provide information about prognosis and recovery timeline, they may not address the functional limitations that patients experience.

💡Functional Impairments

Functional impairments refer to limitations in a person's ability to perform everyday activities due to physical or mental disabilities. The video emphasizes the importance of focusing on these impairments, such as lack of strength in a certain muscle or reduction in range of motion, to develop targeted exercises that can improve a patient's quality of life.

💡Pain Management

Pain management is a medical approach to treating pain, often involving medications and learning to cope with the pain. The video script mentions that patients with medical diagnoses like herniated discs may be left with pain management as their only option if they are not surgical candidates and do not receive physical therapy.

💡Exercises

Exercises are physical activities designed to improve strength, flexibility, and overall health. In the video, the speaker discusses how specific exercises can be tailored to address functional impairments, such as knee pain with deep squatting or walking, to help patients overcome their limitations and reduce pain.

💡Patient-Centered

Patient-centered care is an approach to healthcare that focuses on the patient's needs, values, and preferences. The video emphasizes this approach by advocating for a focus on functional impairments and tailored exercises, which aligns with the patient's individual needs rather than a one-size-fits-all medical diagnosis.

💡Holistic

Holistic refers to an approach that considers the whole person, including physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual aspects. The speaker uses the term to describe their approach to physiotherapy, which goes beyond just treating the diagnosed condition and instead addresses the patient's overall functional health.

💡Prognosis

Prognosis is a forecast of the likely course and outcome of a disease or condition. The video script mentions that medical diagnoses provide information about the prognosis, which can help in planning treatment and recovery timelines.

💡Recovery Timeline

A recovery timeline is an estimated period within which a patient is expected to recover from a condition or injury. The video discusses how medical diagnoses can provide a timeline for recovery, but the focus should be shifted towards functional improvements to achieve better patient outcomes.

💡Range of Motion

Range of motion refers to the extent to which a joint can move. In the video, the speaker uses the example of reduced range of motion in certain joints as a functional impairment that can be addressed through physiotherapy exercises to improve mobility and reduce pain.

💡Strength

Strength in the context of physiotherapy refers to the force that muscles can exert. The video script mentions that a lack of strength in certain muscles can be a functional impairment that contributes to pain and discomfort, and targeted exercises can be used to improve muscle strength and overall function.

Highlights

Introduction to the channel and the focus on physiotherapy diagnosis over medical diagnosis

Emphasis on functional impairments such as muscle weakness or reduced joint range of motion

Acknowledgment of the importance of medical diagnosis for prognosis and recovery timeline

The limitation of medical diagnosis in providing treatment options for non-surgical patients

The shift in focus to functional impairments can lead to more effective pain management

Example of different functional impairments in patients with the same medical diagnosis

The importance of addressing functional impairments to truly help patients

The holistic and patient-centered approach to physiotherapy

The practical application of this approach in the clinic

Invitation for viewers to learn more about the subject through a provided link

Encouragement for viewers to ask questions or raise concerns

Call to action for viewers to like, share, and subscribe to the channel

Introduction of the speaker, Tammy, as a doctor of physiotherapy

Explanation of how focusing on functional impairments can lead to improved exercises and pain relief

The contrast between patient A and B to illustrate the variability of functional impairments

The channel's commitment to focusing on functional limitations in all videos

The channel's goal to provide a more comprehensive approach to physiotherapy

Transcripts

hi everybody my name is Tammy and I'm a

doctor of physiotherapy the objective I

have for this channel is to try to shift

our focus from medical diagnosis such as

osteoarthritis of the knee to

physiotherapy diagnosis which focuses on

functional impairments such as lack of

strength in a certain muscle or

reduction in range of motion on certain

joints this is not to say that medical

diagnosis is not important as it gives

us a lot of information about let's say

prognosis of a condition or the timeline

we need for a recovery however I find

that a lot of times when a client is

given a medical diagnosis let's say you

know herniated discs of the lumbar spine

and if they're not a surgical candidate

and your doctor didn't send them to a

physical therapist the client is left

with you know basically pain management

options which is taking pain medication

and kind of learning to deal with it but

I find that when we shift that focus to

more like functional impairments such as

lack of range of motion or reduced

strength in a certain muscle then we can

be like okay so what are the exercises I

can do to help improve those functional

impairments and by doing that eventually

we'll get rid of that pain that we were

having in the beginning so I'll give you

an example we have patient a and B and

they both have the medical diagnosis of

knee osteoarthritis patient a has

complained of knee pain with deep

squatting and walking but patient B have

complained of pain only one going

downstairs so you can see that their

functional impairments are actually

pretty different but they both have the

same medical diagnosis if we only focus

on the medical diagnosis we will miss

the biggest reason why the patient has

asked for help at the beginning which is

those functional impairments therefore

in all of our videos I'm going to

try to focus more on the functional

impairments that you might be having and

then what exercises to do to try to

improve those functional limitations

this is the approach that I find to be

more patient-centered and holistic and

it's definitely the approach I use at

the clinic with my clients if you guys

would like to have more information

about this subject

I have provided a link in the

description below and if you have any

questions or concerns please feel free

to contact us if you like this video

please go ahead like share and subscribe

to our Channel