David Karuna Tan

♥ Joint Screening at Bains Recuperation Centre (Bains Physio), Jalan Dulang, Mines Wellness City: Dr Balwant Singh Bains suffered the same fate many aspiring doctors do when applying for medical school – he was denied entry as he was a whisker short of the prerequisite grades.“I was a point or two short. However, I wanted to be in the medical line as I have great compassion for people. So I completed my bachelor’s in physiotherapy at Nagpur University, India, and have since made a great career out of it,” says the renowned physiotherapist whose Bains Physiotherapist Clinic is now synonymous with treating the who's who of society.

Many people – from business-man tycoons to members of the local royalty, the Cabinet and former beauty queens – have walked through the doors of his clinics in Ampang and Taman Melawati which he runs with his wife, also a physiotherapist.

He says that to be a physiotherapist, one has to be not only knowledgeable but also creative.

“I call physiotherapy a scientific art as you have to come up with both creative and scientific solutions for your patients’ problems,” he adds.

Dr Balwant Singh showing the board with switches, locks and bolts which some patients use when trying to relearn movements essential for everyday living.
Dr Balwant says students who think that it is unlike medicine (as graduating with a degree in physiotherapy does not allow one to carry the title “Dr”) are dead wrong as the first two years of study are the same for physiotherapy students as for those in a medical programme.

“It's the clinical phase which is different. We get to work in various departments of the hospital during this as our work involves all parts of the human body,” he explains.

He encourages those keen on pursuing the career to “please go ahead”.

More and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of physiotherapy so much so that even companies are beginning to include such clinics on their panels. Besides, the money is good and the working hours, fixed.

In his free time, Dr Balwant indulges in his hobby of playing the keyboard and singing with his family who are all musically inclined.

He says: “If your passion is helping people and you are hardworking and creative, then this job is for you.”

What qualifications do you need?

A degree is a must. In most countries, a minimum of an A-Level qualification is needed to enter a degree programme in physiotherapy.

I completed my degree in physiotherapy at Nagpur University, India. Then, I went on pursue my masters at the All Indian Institute of Physical Rehabilitation in Bombay.

I came back to Malaysia and worked at Tawakal Hospital before opening my own clinic in 1986. Since then, I have obtained my Phd in Psychology as I feel that being a qualified psychologist would also allow me to help my patients better.

What does a physiotherapist do?

There are a few major areas in physiotherapy – treatment for post-operative situations, paediatrics, treatment for the aged and sports physiotherapy.

In treating patients in post-operative situations, we help make patients more mobile by getting them to, as much as possible, carry out daily living activities.

In paediatrics, we correct, either with or without surgery, deformities that patients may have. If they have a neurological condition, we guide them through their milestones of development. We do this with the hope that the child will develop their musculature as close to normal as possible.

For adults above 40, which we call the “green age”, injuries may occur due to an imbalance in muscular activity. People in this age group tend not to use their joints to their optimum.

What happens then is that the joints may stiffen and range of movement gets restricted.

This creates an imbalance in stress on the body that is collected over time. For example, a person may develop a hip injury as he begins to slouch with age.

I am now designing a specific calibration bed for patients above 40 to screen their bodies for such problems. A person above 40 should go for joint screening just as he goes for a regular dental check-up.

In dealing with sports injuries, we help build, treat and train athletes. Physiotherapists even go to school to screen children to see what sports activities best suit their bodies.

Apart from that, physiotherapists also play a role in town and building planning as we help design facilities and structures to accommodate people with disabilities.

Describe a typical day

I work from 9am to 6pm daily. During the day, I attend to patients who come with various problems. I am also a trained psychologist so I do consultation as well.

Being a qualified psychologist has helped me a lot in my work as a physiotherapist. A doctor has to understand how his patients feel and think if he wants them to do as he suggests. If doctors do not have this ability, then the treatment may not work.

For example, when people with titles such as Datuk or Tan Sri come for treatment, I do not refer to them by title.

I will change their names to John, or Sam, or whatever, just to break the barrier between us, and make things more relaxed as we go through the various activities in treatment.

This is how my qualification as a psychologist has helped.

Generally, my hours are quite fixed so I still have time for hobbies.

What kind of personality best suits this career?

Physiotherapists need to be very knowledgeable, creative, dynamic and daring. It is very important to be well versed in the medical sciences as physiotherapists must understand the human body.

Creativity plays a role as you have to come up with ideas for exercises and treatments for your patients.

What's the best part of your job?

The best part is seeing our patients' hopes restored after they are healed of their problems.

It is seeing a stroke victim walk and drive again. That is a great feeling.

And the worst part?

There really is no worse part other than the hectic schedule of the job. Patients tend to demand a lot of us so there is a certain amount of pressure. Other than that, it's a great job.

What is the income range?

If you have a private practice, you can easily make over RM20,000 a month.

What are the career prospects?

Great. Physiotherapy is getting more recognition in Malaysia and testimony to that is how more companies are putting our clinics on their panel.

The industry has got good senior practitioners who have laid a great foundation for the future. The opportunities can be great if you adopt the right attitude.

Those of you who are keen on this career can join our apprenticeship programme to get a feel of what the job is about.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/1/2/education/9516714&sec=education