There is strong research evidence that patient education provided by a health care provider is an important component of a patient’s treatment program. In physiotherapy, education is usually in the form of an explanation to the person of why the pain or injury occurred. Often this can be explained in terms of how the person moves in their daily activities or in their sport, or how they hold their posture. Advice is then given on simple ways to move differently so that the person can return to normal or improved function. Poor sitting posture at the work station, improper bicycle fit, poor running form, and picking up and holding a new baby on the same side of the parent’s body all the time are examples of movement patterns that we may advise on.
