The practice of physiotherapy : Theoretical and contextual reflections.

This thesis is an examination of the practice of physiotherapy, an exploration of the context within which the profession of physiotherapy developed and an identification of the theoretical frameworks within which it is practised. The experiences of physiotherapists and nurses working in particular settings at a specific point in the development of the profession provided a starting point for the study. Physiotherapy, a profession openly dependent for a significant part of its history on medicine for its practice and knowledge base, is contextualised with reference to the development of a medical hegemony, the changing role of women in society, and the development of specialisms within physiotherapy.A methodological framework was developed through the use of a naturalistic design which places the researcher within the study and legitimises personal perspectives. Knowledge of the field prior to the study, fieldwork observations, and findings from two sets of interviews generated the data which provided the framework for an exploration of the theoretical base for the practice of physiotherapy.The thesis concludes by examining the components of context and theory which are fundamental to the practice of theory, and places them within a new framework. This new framework or paradigm is based on a re-evaluation of the concept of holism and goes back to the origins of this model which developed amidst the chaos of post-Boer was South Africa. The meaning of holism has been changed to make it nearer the concept of summative dualism which fits well with key concepts of balance, harmony and homeostasis. True holism is about movement and change and this is proposed as an appropriate model on which to base a paradigm for physiotherapy.