Comments on the ergonomics of the physiotherapist’s work and suggestions on cooperation with other members of the therapeutic team and people from the patient’s close environment (family, friends)

Imagine working with a second-trimester pregnant woman with low back pain and wanting to achieve the following goals:

• Make the pregnant woman understand that her back pain is temporary, that physiotherapeutic exercise approaches are necessary for the continuity of her health rather than a treatment, and what rehabilitation will include.
• Reduce the pregnant woman’s anxiety, stress, or other negative emotions
• Increasing the pregnant woman’s motivation to exercise
• Give the pregnant woman the feeling that she feels better during exercise and that these exercises are positive for her baby’s health and awaken her internal motivation.
• Increase women’s confidence
• Help the woman reject negative thinking and be optimistic about the future
• Relax the body

Below are the types of interventions you can benefit from. Try to match these with the goals presented above:

• Education
• Speech
• Setting long-term and short-term goals
• Using biofeedback
• Help with social support (e.g. messages from teammates or fans)
• Motion visualization
• Relaxation techniques
• Awareness techniques
• Organizing the rehabilitation area (e.g. exercising with another patient or near teammates)
• Giving Frequent Feedback (“You are doing well”, “Look how much change you have achieved”, “Muscle strength has improved by… in the last month”)
• Replacing exercises or treatments that the pregnant woman does not like with alternatives (such as quats can be changed with squats with swiss ball)
• Appreciation of the effort put into therapy, even if the effects are not yet satisfactory
• Breathing exercises
• Paying attention to sleep and rest hygiene
• Psychological, social service unit counseling recommendation