What is physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a way of life

Fenix Center was created with the idea of bringing the concept of physical medicine and rehabilitation, i.e. psychophysical recovery, closer to everyone. The Center’s founder, Vuk Pantović, has more than a decade of experience in this field. He reveals what physiotherapy means to him and his team, how important is an individual approach in working with clients, and points out that empathy is one of the key characteristics of a top therapist.

What is physiotherapy?

That is a very good question, and the answer is quite complex. There are different understandings and definitions. At Fenix Center, we start from what it is not, and it is definitely not a cliché and does not mean only electric devices and massage. For us, it is a humane vocation and way of life, the constant search for new knowledge and its implementation, as well as for the best solutions, not only in medicine but in all other spheres of life. Physiotherapy is a creative vocation and a constantly changing process, and it is this creativity, constant changes and knowledge that allow us to provide quality help and service to our clients.

What makes Fenix Center stand out from other physiotherapy facilities?

We are not intransigent but open-minded, constantly searching for new knowledge and approaches. We believe that there is always more than one solution for a certain problem or condition, and we strive to find the right one for each individual client as quickly as possible. We combine knowledge from different segments and disciplines. We try to apply the most effective methods and techniques, both conventional and alternative. Our entire concept is based on know-how, quality and empathy, and we strive for every segment of our work to be subordinated to it.

What is the role of a physiotherapist?

First of all, telling the client the truth is the most difficult thing. People by nature do not want anything to be lacking or to bother them, especially if they have a long-term problem, condition or injury. That’s where a physiotherapist comes in, who should provide real and honest information. Confronting the client with the truth, motivating them to move forward, educating them and going through the complete recovery procedure with them is always a challenge for every member of our team.

What are the characteristics of a top physiotherapist?

Empathy is definitely something that a top therapist has to have, regardless of their knowledge and expertise. They must realize and understand that clients are not seeking help out of curiosity or boredom, and that going to rehab is certainly not on their bucket list. Each client experiences their problem and their pain in his own way, and for them, their condition is the worst. This is exactly why the therapist needs to understand and genuinely want to help because that is essentially their calling. Intently listening to what the client has to say and what is bothering them is also one of the most important skills. A top therapist must not betray their client’s trust to stroke his ego and indulge in his vanity. Therefore, if the therapist is unable to solve the problem, they have to tell the client about the alternatives.

When is the right time to start physiotherapy considering that people usually decide to take this step after facing certain problems?

Our position and view are that now is always the right time for physiotherapy, depending on the client’s capabilities. It should be a part of every individual’s life. Clients usually associate physiotherapists and therapy with some problem, injury or pain, but in reality, this is not the case. The part of physiotherapy that almost everyone ignores is prevention, that is, preventing the onset of painful conditions and reducing them to a minimum. However, if the client suffers an injury or enters a certain painful condition, it is absolutely recommended to start rehabilitation immediately, because recovery is much easier and faster when the condition is acute than chronic and has been present for a long time. In other words, the longer you wait and think “it will go away on its own”, the longer the recovery. If all this happens, our advice is for the client to contact their trusted therapist and go for consultations to hear what to do next.