physiotherapy

The Benefits of Seeing a Physio

I interview Cronulla based Physio, Clint Griffiths on the benefits of seeing a Physio and how he became to be one.

A Physio (aka: Physiotherapist) is an expert in pain and movement. They assess, diagnose and treat all kinds of musculoskeletal problems. A common misconception is that they just treat muscles, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

The body works as a whole, so we also treat nerves, bony injuries, ligaments and tendon injuries, you cant simply look at one structure or tissue type in isolation, everything is linked.

I sit down with Clint over a coffee and chat to him about what inspires him to be a Physio, what a Physio is and how being treated by one can help you.

Could you tell me a little about your background, how you got into physiotherapy and what it is that you do?

“I was born and bred in Cronulla, as were my parents, so we have a long family history in the area. 

I actually started uni a little late, after finishing school I had no idea of what I wanted to be doing. I always had an interest in the human body, sports and helping people.

Physiotherapy for me ticked some of those boxes. My uncle was the Physiotherapist for the Australian cricket team for over 20 years, so growing up we spent a little time around the team, I suppose my interest in Physio was influenced quite strongly by my uncle. My grandfather was a well respected local GP also, so we have a strong family history in healthcare.”

What drives you about the work?

“I love helping people get out of pain and move well. As a Physio I feel so fortunate to be able to help people on a daily basis, I love complex problems, so for me its about the treatment journey that many complex clients embark upon and helping them through that journey. 

I’m also the owner of Beachside Physiotherapy, so I also love running the business, more specifically I enjoy helping my team achieve their goals both inside and outside of work.”

Do you have a specialty or do you like treating certain conditions?

“I enjoy treating all conditions. However as mentioned earlier I do enjoy the ones with a challenge, perhaps the patient has seen other Physio’s, Chiro’s or even Osteo’s before coming to see me.

I enjoy these patients for the challenge, and to be able to help these patients gives me real satisfaction. It’s not that I do anything that’s hugely different to other practitioners, I often find asking the right questions and truly understanding where the patient is with their condition and also gain a real understanding of how it’s affecting their life.

Often the impact of their injury/condition on their life is significant, they can’t pick up their grandkids, they can’t sleep at night, or they cant sit at work, these things can have a huge impact on peoples day to day lives.”

Is it safe and suitable for all people to get physical therapy?

“Yes absolutely Anissa. Physiotherapy is safe for all people of all ages. We look after kids from the age of four, right through to people in their mid-nineties.

A common misconception is that Physiotherapy hurts, yes occasionally we need to work a little harder. However much of Physiotherapy can be quite gentle, and the science supports this too. We now know that gentle pressure can illicit the exact same response as firm pressure.

When should people consider getting physiotherapy?

“As soon as they have an injury or begin to feel sore in an area of the body. The sooner Physiotherapy begins generally the sooner the we get you better. Many people wait 4-6 weeks or even months before they come to us, this almost always requires a longer period of rehabilitation.

During that waiting period we’re going to see significant muscle wastage and weakness develop, poor movement patterns will develop due to pain and/or swelling, these all take time to retrain and develop. Short answer is – the sooner the better.”

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

“My wife and I have three beautiful kids- Jack Sophie and Olivia, so much of my spare time is spent with them, they keep us fairly busy.

I also love playing golf at Cronulla golf club, I have been a member there for over 20 years now, unfortunately golf take 4-5 hours, so I’m not getting too much in these days, a young family and running a business takes care of that.”

Learn more about Clint Griffiths here.

Contact Anissa to learn more about Cronulla Physio, pain management and accupuncture and how she may be able to assist you.

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