THE world view and value system of our culture began its formation between 1500 and 1700, during a time known as the Enlightenment.

Before 1500, people lived in small communities and experienced nature in terms of organic relationships.

Medieval scientists, looking for purposes underlying various natural phenomena, considered questions relating to God, the human soul and ethics to be of the highest significance.

The medieval view changed radically in the 16th and 17th century. Scientific advances brought on discoveries that reversed this holistic view. The world as a machine replaced the notion of an organic, living and spiritual universe.

The world-machine became the dominant metaphor of the modern era. No longer did man attempt to live in harmony with nature, instead he sought to harness nature and make it do his bidding.

Likewise, in medicine, the body was broken into mechanistic functions and anatomical areas. As the volume of knowledge grew, specialisation in the assessment and treatment of individual anatomical systems and areas became common.

The workings of each individual part were considered more closely than the workings of the whole organic being. Until recently, this mechanistic view of nature and human beings has held sway.

Now, scientists – the new priests in our mechanised society – have made discoveries that throw doubt on this view. Scientists attempting to break the “machine” down into ever-smaller parts, have dissected nature to atomic level.

Far from being the hard, solid particles of time-honoured theory, atoms have turned out to consist of vast regions of space in which extremely small particles (electrons) move around the nucleus.

Even these subatomic particles are not solid. Subatomic particles are not “things” but interconnections between “things” that are in turn interconnected with other things.

Therefore nature cannot be divided into isolated building blocks. Instead, a complicated web of relationships helps form the unified whole. Where does physiotherapy come in?

The human body is part of nature so it cannot be broken into separate parts like a machine. Surrounding structures influence each joint, muscle and nerve.

Our increasing understanding of nature has made assessment and treatment of the body’s systems more encompassing and effective. Consideration of the entire body makes for more complete recovery from injury.

Just remember, the hipbone is connected to the leg bone, and so on.

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