EVERY STEP YOU TAKE

By Jackie Rankin

By day David Bahadoor may help someone with a hip facture to take their first steps towards independence. By night he’ll likely be pushing elite athletes to reach the top of their game.

David, a community physiotherapist in Sefton, Merseyside, has found his own unique way of motivating people to be the best that they can be.

He’s worked at Premier League football clubs, and is now part of the team at Widnes Rugby

League Club.

The work takes him to both ends of the physiotherapy spectrum – but the buzz is the same.

“It doesn’t matter who the person is – your job is to help them identify their goal, and then help them reach it and stay there." The Government’s ‘Stay at Home’ message meant some of David’s patients took two steps backward in their recovery programme. “I was shocked at the levels of low mood”, he says. “Families would be heartbroken that their relative had regressed so much.” David uses his inimitable motivational techniques. “We have a chat, it can be about anything – it’s an avenue to motivate, it’s a big part of what I do. We start thinking about a goal. It could be to go shopping. Recalling that sense of freedom changes the person’s whole demeanour; their mood lifts.

Everyone needs a sense of achievement. As they progress people say ‘I didn’t want to do it but I’m glad I did.” David asked me what my hobbies were. I said

I loved going line dancing

before my legs became too weak. One week I felt I wasn’t doing well. The next week he brought some country music on his phone and we did the steps together. It was

lovely to dance again.

DAVID’S MOTIVATIONAL TIPS

• Decide your goal; it could be going into the garden, or walking with friends • Break down the tasks, or exercises into small chunks

• Set new, smaller goals each week, taking you closer to your main goal • Make it easy on yourself. Lighten your mood by playing music to evoke happy memories

HE'S LIKE A MATE

Former city farm worker Bobby Flood (pictured right with David) says he’d be unable to get out of bed but for David’s encouragement. “There’s something about him that makes you get up and try,” said the 66 year old who broke his hip during a recent fall.

“I really look forward to him coming.

He’s like a mate who really wants you to do well. I’m agoraphobic and

David had me walking in the garden and down the path. He understands your pain, but he pushes you and that’s what I needed.”

In rugby the physio is king. But with that comes massive responsibility. “You can’t take your eyes of the action; the responsibility for the player’s safety is on you. There are so many more injuries during a rugby match than in football, and potentially more serious ones. The physio has the licence to decide on whether a player stays on the pitch," says David. "In that second you have to ask yourself ‘is he more laboured than usual getting up from a tackle? Is he responding appropriately to verbal communication'. You quickly examine for possible concussion and/or additional injuries – then make the decision, in front of the team, managers and big crowds. “It can be tense. If the scores are close you could make the difference between your team winning or losing – but the player’s safety and wellbeing always comes first.”