DUBAI // A culture of opting for medication and surgery rather than rehabilitation means patients are undergoing unnecessary procedures, said a former physiotherapist.
Personal trainer Minnie Bustamante, who worked at hospitals in the Philippines before moving to the Emirates in 2007, said she was shocked by how many of her clients opted for unnecessary knee surgeries.
“Most of my clients had been offered medication or surgery to help solve a physical problem, rather than a rehabilitation programme first,” the Filipina said.
“If someone has knee pain, doctors are too quick to want to open them up to see what the problem is, or even offer a knee replacement. That should be a last resort. Clients who are educated say no and try physiotherapy first, but most do not.”
This attitude creates an expensive healthcare culture, said Ms Bustamante, whose thesis at university in the Philippines centred on exercise prescription by doctors rather than medical treatment.
“It is clear unnecessary procedures are happening.”
Even sports injuries can often be corrected through a period of recovery and strengthening exercise. Low-impact exercise or swimming before a period of physiotherapy can often avoid unnecessary surgery for joint and ligament injuries.
Effective rehabilitation programmes should last at least 90 days. Many patients are reluctant to spend that time recovering, so opt for the quick fix of surgery instead, paid for by insurance.
Ms Bustamante, who manages iSpa in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, mentioned the case of a friend whose 11-year-old daughter was sent for two CT scans and an MRI scan after being hit on the head with a ball.
“A doctor should have known if there was something wrong after the second scan,” she said. “Too many X-rays and scans expose people to unnecessary radiation, and that can have an impact on long-term health, especially children. I have spoken many times with patients and doctors to encourage exercise ahead of prescriptions, but it is hard to change a culture here in the UAE.”
nwebster@thenational.ae
