Psychoneuroimmunology for physiotherapists

Physiotherapists working in musculoskeletal areas have acknowledged that they need to know more about the body than bones, muscles and joints. Over time, physiotherapists have expanded their knowledge into other areas and systems of the body. Psychology, the nervous system, physiology and biomechanics are all examples of areas that have been covered and analysed in greater depth. Understanding more of the body's systems and how they link together can help to reduce some of the mysteries that arise in clinics on a daily basis. Through scientific explanation of patient conditions and their response to treatment, the effectiveness of physiotherapy can be improved. A new field that offers to further improve physiotherapy understanding and patient management is psychoneuroimmunology. This article aims to introduce this field to physiotherapists and review recent findings on stress-impaired healing.