Owner, The Physioway | Zahabia Basrai

What is your name and title? 

Zahabia Basrai PT, OCS

Owner, The Physioway 

What is your educational background? year of graduation?

Bachelor’s of physiotherapy (BPTh) – K. J. Somaiya College of physiotherapy. Batch of  2009

Advanced certification in orthopedics – MGH institute of health professions. 2012

Orthopedic certified specialist- American physical therapy association

What did you do soon after your graduation? For how long?

I worked in Saifee hospital for a couple of years. It gave me exposure to a little bit of everything, Ortho, Neuro, outpatient, inpatient, ICU. Initially, I thought I was interested in adult neuro actually. Later as I started to work, I realized I am liking ortho more. If you are not sure, it is good to get exposure first and then decide. 

What did you do after that and for how long?

I moved to the US to pursue my post-graduation from MGH institute. There were changes happening in visa rules at that time. Because of that, the college decided to extend the duration of the course. I did not want to extend the course. The jobs that were offered at the time, did not excite me. My visa situation was not working out as well. So I decided to move back to India. 

I studied for the license exam in India. Simultaneously, I continued working in India. One and half years later, I went to the USA again and took the license exam. After getting married, I moved to the USA and worked there for almost 2 years in an outpatient orthopedic setup.

One thing that was strong for me was I always wanted to learn more about physiotherapy. I am excited to learn. According to me, all the disciplines, neuro, msk, and cardiorespiratory, are inter-connected. It is good to have knowledge from each. 

When did you decide to start your own practice?

I moved back to India in 2017. By then I was sure, I wanted to continue as an outpatient orthopedic physiotherapist. Soon after moving to India, I started my own practice, The physio way. I wanted to include the wellness component in my practice. So I started therapeutic group classes for geriatrics, 

I also started conducting our Birth and Beyond program with my friend Dhwani, who is also a physiotherapist. The wellness program added a nice facet to what I do. I continued to improve on my orthopedic knowledge, which helped me to improvise my wellness programs too.

I feel it is good to have a strong base of either ortho, neuro and then concentrating on a specific population. For example, in my case, I have a strong orthopedic base and now I am expanding to the specific population of elderly and pregnant women. 

What are you doing currently?

So I practice in two places. One in Churchgate and the other is in Haji Ali. It is mainly an outpatient orthopedic setup. I treat patients one on one. We are a team of  2-3 physios working together. 

Currently, we are not conducting in-person group wellness programs due to the pandemic. We are hosting our wellness program online. 

What is the typical day of work for you?

The outpatient clinic needs to work around the time when your patients can see you. I start at around 9 and I work till 6. Sometimes I work till later in the day till 7:30. I work Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 9 to 3. 

I conduct my online programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is since the start of the pandemic. I think some part of online work will continue even when the pandemic is over, given the convenience. 

Sometimes, as needed, I treat my ortho patients online. I don’t usually prefer it but when things were really bad with Covid, it provided some value to my patients. 

What do you love about what you do?

Almost everything! I can’t imagine doing anything else. Treating patients and helping them reach their goals gives me personal satisfaction. 

What are the challenges you face?

Mindsets of traditional orthopedic surgeons can sometimes get in a way of physiotherapy treatment. Sometimes patients come to us with preformed opinions about physiotherapy treatment based on what referring clinician has told them. Our way of treatment can be different than what they have been told.

The mindset of patients towards the profession can also be a challenge. Sometimes physiotherapy is not taken as seriously. Although that is changing now. 

What do you think can be improved in the field?

I think physiotherapists should have a bigger voice. Our profession can be infringed upon by other professions very quickly. For example, a yoga instructor is not trained to treat pain. We need to safeguard our profession a bit more. 

Can you name books, courses, and workshops that helped you in your career?

I am really about basics.

Books:

Therapeutic exercise by Kisner and Colby

Physical rehabilitation by O’Sullivan

Manual therapy of spine by Olsen

The books I used for the license exam and OCS were also helpful 

Reading research is also important

Courses:

Advanced office ergonomics certification

I also did a few courses on kinetic control that were helpful. 

What is next for you?

I would Like to grow my practice more. I also want to learn more about injury prevention.

I obtained an advanced office ergonomic certification when I was in the US. I have been incorporating it into my practice where I ask my patients to take pictures of their workplace. Based on the evaluation I suggest changes.  

I plan to work with the corporate sector and companies in India to provide ergonomic guidance and wellness program for their employees. 

What is your advice for other physiotherapists?

It is okay not to know what you want to do from start. I feel it is of value in being exposed to various clinical setups. My advice would be to get work exposure outside of the college. Even if you are clear on what you want to do, you can take up some work alongside when you are studying and get some exposure. 

Where can people find you?

They can DM me on my clinic’s Instagram handle.