JAPANESE 日本語

We provide training for medical professionals. This time we introduce training for physical therapists, titled as "Training for physical therapists for better mind-body connection."

Through meeting with physical therapists, I have noticed that this "Training for physical therapists for better mind-body connection." is necessary in education of physical therapy.  

I heard, in schools of physical therapy in Japan, students have been taught, "If you want to deal with mental issues, be an occupational therapist. If you want to deal with physical issues, be a physical therapist." However, mind and body are connected, and the connection cannot be clearly separated in some occupations. 

Because body is influenced by mental condition so much, if physical therapists do not consider the mind-body connection when they treat patients, challenging situation could occur to both of the physical therapists and the patients. For example, the physical therapists may feel frustrated and struggled by patients' long-lasting symptoms which do not improve much no matter how hard the physical therapists treat them.  Often, those physical therapists manipulate the patients' body overly, which may harm the bodies of the physical therapists. However, there was almost no education in physical therapy to talk about the mind-body connection.  

On the other hand, in the fields such as psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine, it is a basic principle in teaching that mind body are connected. However, those fields' main focus is on mind and brain. So, when they think about how to approach symptoms from body, they could learn from physical therapy. The more I (Dr. Ai) spoke with physical therapists, the more I felt that we, as medical professionals from different fields, could collaborate to make up with empty spaces.   

My bases are psychiatry, mind-body medicine, stress medicine, mindfulness, spirituality, and past life therapy etc. Based on this background and my bases, I have discussed how I could help physical therapists. Through the process, I have noticed, in order not only to improve patients' treatment efficacy and their Quality of Life, but also for physical therapists to continue to work healthily for long time, "Training for physical therapists for better mind-body connection" is necessary. 

Thanks to collaboration with Dr. Miha Masuda, PhD, RPT, a physical therapist and a teacher on physical therapy for long time, I am happy to announce that we start providing this training for physical therapists. 

Humbly, we are pleased to help physical therapists to enjoy their work. 

Please also see the following blog essay (Title: "Training for physical therapists for better mind-body connection" in Japanese).

Message from Dr. Miha Masuda, PhD, RPT

As a physical therapist, I have treated patients and their physical symptoms for approximately 25 years. Even though I did my best treating the patients, some of them could not show much improvement or symptoms came back after temporary improvement. Every time I faced the cases, I felt limitation of physical therapy's approach. 

However, while I studied mental approach in Riverside Mental Clinic, I met wonderful findings! I got clearer understanding that mind and body were connected, and patients' mental problems were shown in their physical symptoms. In these cases, when you combine physical therapeutic mental approach into your practice, the patients' physical symptoms tend to be improved. Those patients are happy, because they can notice the improvement while feeling fulfillment more and sooner than the usual physical therapy which focuses on their bodies only. I feel rewarding as a physical therapist.  

Also, this physical therapeutic mental approach could bring positive outcome for physical therapists themselves. Because, with the mental approach, they use their hands less, the physical therapists would not have to overuse their bodies, they could work longer while doing their best.¹ ⁾ 

I believe that this training would help you develop your physical therapy to be happier and more fulfilled for both of yourself and your patients. 

I hope many people could join in the training. 

Reference:

1) Miha Masuda, PhD, RPT, Mr. Naoei Ito and I, PT Journal, 2019: 53; 103-104.

PS: Please also see the following message posted to the blog of Riverside Mental Clinic. 

Title: "A New Year greeting 2020 from Miha Masuda, PhD, RPT" (in Japanese)

Trainers: Ai Suzuki, MD, MPH, PhD, and Miha Masuda, PhD, RPT

Session fee: 

28,000JPY (30,800JPY with tax)/session (60 minutes)

55,000JPY (60,500JPY  with tax)/ session (120 minutes, recommended).