Physio Focus - Berna Lindfield

Berna Lindfield is a Category A ACPAT member.

How long have you been a Chartered Physiotherapist and an animal physiotherapist?

I gained a Diploma in Physical Therapy at McGill University (Canada) in 1962 became a member of the Canadian Society of Physiotherapy after completing two internships. I then worked at the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Center treating a variety of in and out patients with neurological, orthopaedic and musculoskeletal conditions.

Soon after I qualified, a School of Physiotherapy was established at Dalhousie University (Halifax, Canada) and the Director later asked me to undertake the training required for me to teach at this new school. Accordingly I attended the University of Toronto for two years and gained a Diploma in Teaching Physiotherapy in 1966. I then taught at Dalhousie before coming to the UK in 1969. At this point I joined the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy but I did not become an animal physiotherapist until 1995. I gained a Postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy from the Royal Veterinary College in 2001.

In the UK I first taught physiotherapy at St Thomas’s Hospital in London and later taught anatomy at St. Thomas’s Hospital Medical School (later the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guys and St Thomas’s Hospitals / UMDS). Between these physiotherapy and anatomy teaching posts I studied physical anthropology at University College London, gaining a postgraduate diploma in 1975.

What interested you in specialising in animals?

I ran a private physiotherapy practice for several years and during this time I treated many fellow riders.

Following their own treatment (successful of course!) many asked me to have a look at their horses.

After several years of saying that I could not do this as I was not trained in animal physiotherapy I thought “Doh – I could get trained!”

Where did you train and what did it involve?

When I entered the field of animal physiotherapy there was no well defined education route so I, like everyone else at that time, did most of my training by attending a number of established animal physiotherapy practices as a Category B student. This training was a mixture of observation and hands-on sessions.

My experiences as a student later encouraged me to initiate the development of the postgraduate courses at the Royal Veterinary College. I was also asked by ACPAT to set up the Core Knowledge and Skills Course for its students and I ran this course for its first year.

What do you enjoy most about treating animals?

I derive great pleasure and satisfaction from seeing an animal’s pain and/or distress decrease and I relish the improved function demonstrated by a clearly happier and more relaxed animal.

It is also delightful to see an owner’s relief and pleasure at the improvement in their animal.

What is the most unusual animal you have treated?

I think that the prize for ‘most unusual patient’ would have to go to a show sheep that I encountered in the early days of my practice. I approached this little ewe, who was the centre of her owner’s existence, with some trepidation as nothing in my training had really prepared me to deal with sheep. I have to confess that I ‘cured’ her by accident!!! The owner thought that I was marvellous!

I am sure that the education now available for physiotherapists entering the animal field renders them more confident about tackling all kinds of patients.