Graham Curlewis

I suppose I am most comfortable when I understand things well. It has been a major driver for me – to understand how people ‘work’. I have spent a long time studying and trying to make sense of all the information (and the misinformation, and there is a lot of that out there!). I think it is only recently that as a profession and as a scientific community we are beginning to piece things together. Recent advances in pain science and evidence based classifications of lower back and neck problems make this a very exciting time to be practicing physiotherapy.

I absolutely love science and believe that physiotherapy is a fantastic profession to work in. It incorporates so many different areas of science; anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, pathology, psychology, sociology, exercise physiology and ergonomics, to name a few. One can never know enough, and with so many subjects feeding into physio there is no danger of getting bored with learning.

I left the NHS to move into the private sector to improve the quality of my care. Having the time to spend with patients, getting their story, and working with people to resolve their problems. It is so rewarding to be involved in resolving someone’s pain that has caused unnecessary suffering. Especially with the complicated problems. Understanding of what drives a disorder is essential to preventing the problem from recurring.

I’ve spent a lot of my career treating physical pathologies, and still really enjoy seeing the progressions that come with this, but my later interest in chronic pain and the requirement for a more broad skill set has really kept me fascinated and interested in my work.