Your comments: 2 December 2015

As one of the fewer than 30 physiotherapists trained in hippotherapy I was delighted to read Gill Hitchcock’s article on the good work being undertaken by Lynne Munro at her two hippotherapy practices in Shropshire and North Wales.

It is good to see this specialty highlighted as it can be so effective. I would reiterate that it is not the treatment for all, but to see the success it can deliver is a joy – for the child, the parents and the therapist! Adults benefit also.  

 

The executive committee of Pelvic, Obstetric & Gynaecological Physiotherapy (POGP) wish to comment on the article, How can we improve care for women with pelvic girdle pain? (7 October 2015) and subsequent patient information insert to Frontline (21 October 2015).

 

Firstly, we acknowledge the work of the Pelvic Partnership in raising the profile and awareness of pelvic girdle pain (PGP). 

 

However, we have some concerns that manual therapy is being promoted as the only effective treatment modality. Research does not provide us with the evidence on the best way to manage PGP. 

 

At POGP we teach and support an holistic management of patients and the tools we use are dependent on the symptoms and assessment of the individual patient.  

 

Manual therapy assessment and appropriate treatment techniques are taught as part of these workshops, but with the acknowledgement that they are not always indicated nor that they are the only effective treatment. Postural and functional advice and correction of any neuromuscular dysfunction and exercise is also included in these workshops. In practice, a combination of different treatment modalities is to be considered for each individual patient, which is consistent with recommendations of recent systematic review papers. 

 

We would be more than happy to work with the Pelvic Partnership in promoting the role of physiotherapy in treating these women.

 

I read the article on primary care with interest (21 October).

 

It did occur to me that a new configuration of services is developing which changes the structure of the NHS but without jeopardising free health services. Connect is a private concern serving the NHS. Surely this is the privatisation which so many condemn outright?

 

There will be many forms, some better value than others, some profit-driven as we fear, but these changes are inevitable. It is for our profession to ensure that the  essential ethos of service remains, with patient-care at the heart.