The Top 5 Reasons I Love Being a Physiotherapist by Fiona Liu

Hi, my name is Fiona Liu. I am a physiotherapist who graduated from the University of Sydney.  I am passionate about giving my patients the best evidence-based practice and helping them improve in their conditions. I have been working with patients with sports injuries for their return-to-play, chronic conditions (such as back and neck pain), women’s health, pre & post-natal rehabilitation and other conditions. Physiotherapy has always my biggest passion and here are the top 5 reasons why I love being a physio.

1. Being able to help others in their conditions and wellbeing 

The best part of gaining this knowledge of physiotherapy is in its application. Helping people restore their movement and resolve pain or discomfort is one of the most fulfilling parts of the job. There is nothing more fulfilling in my work as a physio than seeing a patient being able to walk pain free again, returning back to their chosen sport, gaining back their strength and function and so on. It is really rewarding to see that I have made a difference in someone else’s life by working with them every week.

2. Staying fit 

Growing up, I am always interested in how the human body works and learning ways to live a healthy lifestyle. I enjoy outdoor activities such as walking, hiking and cycling. Unlike a typical 9-5 office job, working as a physio enables me to be on my feet most of the day and keep fit. It’s nice to keep an active lifestyle while on the job.

Also, among a few other things, exercise is great medicine for each patient and they all will get their dose when they come to their physio session. We guide our patients through exercise prescriptions to help them overcome their injuries and achieve their goals.

3. Effective educator 

One of the key elements to impactful physiotherapy rehabilitation is incorporating patient education within day-to-day interactions. This job gives me the ability to educate and empower people about how to be physically aware of their bodies, and in turn improve their overall quality of life. Throughout the session, I always love to explain and help my patient to understand their condition, why the injury happened and how to self manage it in the future. I particularly love this aspect of my work because I enjoy the challenge of explaining and simplifying difficult concepts. With effective communication and education, it allows me to help others overcome adversities, learn, adapt and achieve their goals.

4. Continued Learning and Development 

Another important reason why I love being a physio is that it is a profession where you always learn new things and help others. Every year, there is ongoing new research and evidence about physiotherapy practice and there are a lot more that are yet to be studied further. I am passionate about learning more about each different condition and exploring greater areas in physiotherapy. I aim to deliver the very best evidence based practice to help my patients improve their quality of their lives.

5. Variety of patients 

Working as a physio at Excel, not one day is the same, and each schedule of patients presents a unique lineup of diagnoses. Getting a chance to work with patients with different injuries helps me keep every day fresh. For example, in one day, I may see patients with neck and back pain, followed by a patient with a knee replacement, followed by an ankle sprain and then a patient recovering from a stroke. I am also able to work with people from different backgrounds and with various occupations. The variety makes every day different and challenging, in a good way, which inspires me in many aspects of my life.