Physical Therapy with an OPEN MIND

In a world with a population of ~ 7,484,325,4762, 196 countries6, ~6,500 languages3 ,and ~4,200 different religions1,there are going to be times where people don’t share the same views. As a health professional working in developing countries, it is important to live your daily life with an open mind. In today’s blog, I will be discussing how Asian and European cultures have different effects on physical therapy practices around the world.

ASIA

Asia is usually divided into sections (East, West, Central and South Asia), however to keep this blog short I will discuss Asia as a whole. The Asian continent consists of 48 countries with a total population of 4.4 billion people (62% of the world population).6 There are many spoken languages throughout, but the three most spoken languages are Mandarin, Hindi, and Arabic.6 Asia is the world’s largest continent, which explains the extremely diverse climates (subarctic temperatures in Siberia to tropical climates in India) and geographical features. Religious practices are also very diverse, but the three main religions are Islam (1.1 billion followers), Hinduism (1 billion followers) and although it is not a religion “no-religion” is practiced by 925 million people.6

PHYSICAL THERAPY IN ASIA

Due to the war breakouts in West Asia, countries like Syria and Jordan, are having to bring in foreign physical therapists and health providers to help with patients therapy. As I previously mentioned, different cultures will at times set restrictions to healthcare professionals. For example, in various countries, women have very little to no rights and are required to only be treated by women healthcare providers. Some religions view disabilities as “God’s will, and a test of endurance”, majority of the time family members prefer to “hide” the disabled family member instead of seeking help from professionals.5 Physical therapy is one of the the most growing contributing professions to the health service all over the world. Countries in the Asia Western Pacific Region are making lots of efforts to set education and practice standards to improve physical therapy practices and techniques. Across the Asian continent the popularity of physical therapy varies. One of the goals of multiple organizations is to bring awareness of the benefits of physical therapy to countries that don’t know much about the practice.

EUROPE

Europe consists of 47 countries, and has a population of 739 million (3rd most populous continent after Africa).6 Although religion has been on a decline in Europe, the three most practiced religions are Christianity, Islam, and non-religious.6 Languages vary across the European continent. However, the most spoken languages are the “romance languages” of French, Italian, and Spanish.6 English and Germanic languages are also very widely used, especially English. Although Europeans are very open to healthcare, there are a few cultures that physical therapists need to be aware of; one being the Gypsy/Roma Culture. Gypsies are known for being loud and argumentative (although the majority don’t mean to sound this way). It is important to keep in mind that it takes time to establish trust, mostly due to the fact that most will respect older medical professionals more than younger professionals. Another gypsy belief physical therapists will encounter is the idea that the lower half of the body is impure. Most will refuse to receive orthopedic therapy, even if it is necessary.

PHYSICAL THERAPY IN EUROPE

As mentioned in my second blog, there has been an increase in obesity, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases in the past few decades. Health professionals, especially physical therapists are teaming up to promote the EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.4 This platform is trying to bring awareness of the negative health issues resulting from bad eating habits. A popular therapy practice followed in Europe is the combination of physical therapy and cryotherapy. Cryotherapy has been used in Europe for several decades and is a treatment that takes place in a cold chamber. “This type of therapy triggers the discharge of endorphins, which in turn come with an immediate pain relieving effect.”7 Researchers have found that combined with physical therapy, this type of therapy can in return leave long-lasting results.

The continents of Asia and Europe make up more than half of the world population. Therefore, it is no surprise that health providers will be at a higher demand and physical therapy is definitely a rising practice.

Next blog I will continue with this topic of Physical Therapy with an OPENMIND in South America, Oceania, and Africa.

References

1Adherents. (2007, August 09). Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from https://www.reference.com/world-view/total-number-religions-world-ff89ae17c6068514

2Census Bureau, T. (2017, March 10). U.S and World Population Clock. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from https://www.census.gov/popclock/

3Ethnologue. (2014). Most Widely Spoken Languages in the World. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/many-spoken-languages.html

4EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. (2014, November 15). Retrieved March 09, 2017, from http://www.erwcpt.eu/eu_and_advocacy/eu_platform_for_physical_activity

5Handbook of Patients' Spiritual and Cultural Values for Health Care Professionals. (2013, March). Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.healthcarechaplaincy.org/userimages/Cultural%20Sensitivity%20handbook%20from%20HealthCare%20Chaplaincy%20%20(3-12%202013).pdf

6WorldAtlas. (2016, May 3). How Many Countries Are In The World. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.worldatlas.com/nations.htm

7Therapy, T. O. (2012, November 19). Learn about Cryotherapy Treatment in Europe [Web log post]. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://therapies.healthxtourism.com/learn-cryotherapy-treatment-europe/