Because trauma is both ubiquitous and associated with many chronic illnesses and high-risk behaviours, all physiotherapists will care for patients with histories of trauma
Survivors of trauma may be ‘triggered’, consciously or unconsciously, by situations they encounter in the physiotherapy setting
E.g. the need to undress, wait in a room with a closed door are all concrete ways that patients may be re-traumatised while attending physiotherapy
Traumatic memories, provoked by physiotherapeutic encounters, may make physiotherapy intolerable to a patient and ultimately could lead to dropout and contribute to worsened health outcomes
Most importantly, the power imbalance between patient and physiotherapist can trigger a traumatic response