MUST READ: Physiotherapist has the future in her hands

Growing up, Wendy Hsiao dreamed of being an engineer. Through the twists and turns of life however, the 32-year-old found herself pursuing a career in physiotherapy and in her words, working with the engineering of the human body.

To her patients, Wendy is something of a miracle worker. Through a combination of research and physiotherapy techniques, she can help a person regain use of a broken limb or simply walk a little straighter.

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And for almost a decade, she’s done just that. Physiotherapy primarily focuses on the restoration of function and recovery, and differs vastly from the ‘body and mind’ holistic aspect of massage therapy.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people phone in and ask for a full body massage,” Wendy laughed.

Wendy was born in Taiwan, but for the past eight years has called Newcastle home. After matriculating, she began a four year degree through Wits University in Johannesburg, doing charitable work as an extramural pursuit. For Wendy, it’s about continuously improving.

While physiotherapists are required to earn 30 Continuous Professional Development points each year, Wendy has also placed emphasis on evidence based physiotherapy techniques and studying new modules to expand her skill set.

She also hoped to clear up misconceptions regarding the field.

“Any physiotherapist has specific techniques and does extensive courses including dissecting of cadavers. We deal more with the pathology aspect of health.”

For Wendy, the most rewarding part of her job was witnessing a patient’s improvement, helping those who couldn’t walk regain their mobility or lessening a person’s pain. She loved hearing back from patients on how they had improved.

Conversely, the most challenging part of physiotherapy according to Wendy, was working within a limited time frame.

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“Another challenge is the cooperation of patients. Some of them are not willing to take advice or push themselves, and they forget it’s a two way street. They must play their part.”

To those interested in physiotherapy, Wendy said it was important to have a passion for helping others, without which the job would become burdensome. She also stated it was not a get-rich-quick employment. “It’s physically and mentally taxing. You need to be able to handle blood and not be squeamish.”

On a personal note, Wendy described herself as a huge gamer and said she transitioned easily from the real world to the virtual world. This helped her cope with the stresses of the day.

“I play a lot of online games. Otherwise my boyfriend and I enjoy driving to visit the beach,” she concluded.

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