Managing your care

Meet a physiotherapist

Getting guidance from a specialist physiotherapist

David Stephenson is a physiotherapist who works at several haemophilia centres across the UK. In this article, he talks about the role of a physiotherapist and how they can support someone in reaching their goals.

Learn why a physiotherapist may be key to preventing problems, protecting your joints and helping with rehabilitation.

The information here is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. If you have any concerns or queries regarding haemophilia, please speak to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse

What does a physiotherapist do?

I used to see that broken down into a number of areas, first being prevention, so preventing problems happening so whether that be bleeds or deterioration in their condition. The other is protecting their joints, promoting to the good health, and thirdly is rehabilitation to improve a patient’s musculoskeletal health condition.  In that, improving their lifestyle and health.

How can a physiotherapist support someone in reaching their goals?

I think the three key things that help a person with haemophilia achieve their potential really is understanding their condition from an early age so that they can make decisions about what they want to do and what they don’t want to do. So, we as a physiotherapist have a role in teaching patients about their joint health, about exercise, about movement.
Secondly, as a physiotherapist, my philosophy is that we need to teach people to move better, then they can move more. We need to encourage them to be more active and physically active and live a healthier lifestyle.
Thirdly, I think what’s really good to patient outcomes and helps patient outcomes is people engage with haemophilia centre. We as haemophilia clinicians can’t help patients if we don’t know what the problems are or what they want to do.

What advice do you have for helping a medical appointment to go well?

My tips for a patient that comes to a physiotherapy clinic about their haemophilia is to ask questions — ask questions, ask why and also tell the physiotherapist about any problem you’ve had.

Selected content to help you continue reading

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Haemophilia and you

Haemophilia, severity, and bleeding episodes

Living with haemophilia can bring some challenges, like an increased risk of bleeding and joint pain. Learning about your haemophilia is the first step to managing these risks and helping you live life with fewer limitations.