Hi Cape Town!
My name is Shane, I’m a qualified physiotherapist and I have just moved back to Cape Town for a new (if not dryer) adventure.
I started my journey towards being a paediatric physio when I was a child and was packed off to physio by a teacher for “low tone”. Physio was pretty fun and I figured if you could help someone and they had fun at the same time, then that is pretty cool!
I studied at UCT, completed my community service in northern Kwazulu-Natal and found my way back to Cape Town, where I was very happily employed at Paarl School for Children with Disabilities for five years. I loved working there and it helped grow a passion for treating all children, but particularly those who had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. My knowledge base grew and I was afforded plenty of time by the school to attend courses and improve my skills.
However, I love learning new things and felt I needed to improve my knowledge base. I went to Johannesburg to complete a Masters in Medicine in child neuro-developmental health and worked part time in a private practice there. At the same time, I become very involved in learning more about an approach to treating children called Movement Analysis and Education Strategies (MAES).
As a physiotherapist, I have spent a lot of time analysing HOW children and adults move. The MAES approach was the first approach I have come across that not only looks at how a child moves but delves deeper into WHY they move the way they do. It is an approach that analyses movement, from the mover’s point of view and not as an outside observer. It deepens the understanding of movement and is more about the psychology of movement than the actual movements itself. This approach has helped me individualise my assessments and treatment to each child taking into account every child’s own specific needs.
After completing the Masters (which took at least a year longer than I anticipated), I have returned to Cape Town to start a new chapter. I am looking forward to the adventure that is PhysioKids: Shane Brassell Phsyiotherapy!