Getting to Know Daniel Heazlewood-Ross

You might have seen a new face around the studio lately with the new addition to our team Daniel! He has a super similar background to our Director Mauricio with a Bachelor of Exercise Science followed by a Masters of Physiotherapy from Griffith University. He loves meeting new people, staying fit and active and spending time with his beautiful new family which includes his adorable baby son Oscar. We sat down and asked him a few "get to know you" questions recently - read on if you're as curious as we were!

What made you decide to become a physiotherapist?
Funnily enough my Mum always wanted to be a physiotherapist and I’ve always been suspicious that she somehow had something to do with it.

I’ve always been an active and health conscious person so a career in health made sense to me. Ironically I’ve had more than my fair share of injuries so I was introduced to physiotherapy from an early age. In retrospect going through the injury and rehabilitation journey (a few times) gives me more insight and empathy for what my clients are going through. 

I particularly enjoy working with a diverse range of people. We are all wonderfully different and thus no two people or injuries are exactly the same. Therein lies one of the challenges with physiotherapy in working with someone to help them achieve their goals.
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What’s your favourite part of treating clients?
I really enjoy helping people and seeing people who often come in fearful and sore leave feeling stronger and empowered. I make a point of understanding what it is my clients want to achieve - be it athletic pursuits, becoming healthier or just doing more in the garden. Working with people to achieve their goals makes my day. 

What’s the biggest myth that people believe about physios, that you wish they didn’t?
That all physios are the same. I hear stories of people going to a physio who lay everyone down, gives them a heat pack, some time with an ultrasound machine and a  little massage. These physios don’t listen to what the clients' concern is, they don't educate them on what the issue is and don't formulate a plan on how to address it.

The way I treat is very different to this - the entire process is a consultation and all about educating and empowering. It would be lovely if we could press a magical button and fix any ache or pain but in reality the best way to treat is by helping a patient understand the problem and working out a plan together on how to address it. 

If you could give one piece of advice to all of your patients, what would it be?
I know this seems pretty simple, but, DO YOUR EXERCISES! Whilst time in the clinic is important, it's the work that clients put in outside of the clinic walls that make the difference. It’s not about smashing out one big rehab session a week. Multiple short sessions doing the right things make all the difference.