The Bio-Psycho-Social Approach

Written By Kim Deschamps

Written by Kim Deschamps | Nov 29, 2019

Did you know that “health” is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease”? (1948). Many aspects of our traditional healthcare system address only the physical side of our wellbeing through a biomedical approach, which focuses solely on treating the symptoms of a disease or dysfunction. However, the biopsychosocial (BPS) model first looks for the root of the symptoms before treatment even begins. BPS practitioners do this by incorporating questions and treatment goals that also focus on a patients mental and social wellbeing in conjunction with their physical wellbeing. This gives the BPS practitioner a more complete idea of any underlying causes for your symptoms beyond what a classical biomedical practitioner might otherwise overlook.

A common question is “How will having good mental health and social support shape my path to recovery?” Consider the following example while keeping that previous question in mind: if a person has jaw pain from grinding their teeth, they may be given a mouth guard to protect their teeth. This keeps their teeth safe, but it does not stop the problem of grinding teeth. If it is discovered that the root of the cause is related to their mental health - they grind their teeth because of stress - then relaxation techniques may get rid of the root problem all together. In this example the biomedical solution to this problem would be having the patient use a mouth guard. The BPS solution would be to encourage techniques for regular stress relief to treat the root of the problem, which may alleviate other symptoms caused by that same high stress level.

A healthcare practitioner who follows the BPS model rather than the classical biomedical model is able to assess their patients in a more holistic way, allowing the use of many interdisciplinary treatment methods which can lead to find that a patient’s symptoms may be caused by a psychological root. This is done by looking at the “self” through five different dimensions or different lenses.

1. Physical - nutrition, movement, safety
2. Intellectual - desire to take control of your health
3. Psychoemotional-social - meditation and mindfulness practice
4. Energetic - gut, brain, and body
5. Spiritual - introspective analysis

Although society has begun to recognize the importance of mental health and having a social support group, there is still much more room for improvement. We at Holistic Physiotherapy and Wellness strive to seek the balance between physical, psychological, and social health and recognize the interconnectedness of these elements. We encourage our patients, colleagues, friends, and family to search for their own balance and to take care of themselves and practice self-love.


Further Readings & References:

Shelly Prosko: "Self-Care: The Dark Side" http://physioyoga.ca/self-care-the-dark-side

Ginger Garner- "Medical Therapeutic Yoga"

Kim Deschamps

Kim Deschamps, MPT, BKin, PYT, BDN

Kim is a physiotherapist, pelvic health therapist, professional yoga therapist, and the owner of Holistic Physiotherapy and Wellness. Kim’s professional practice follows a holistic or whole-being approach to health and wellness. Her goal is to help people find the primary driver to their pain, reduced mobility, and reduced function. She strongly advocates that every person holds the power to be an active driver in their health and well-being. Kim strives to promote self-care with her clients and the community. She actively practices this in her personal life and works hard to have work-home-life balance.

Kim's first education adventure was at the SIAST Wascana Campus in Regina, SK, where she completed a Certificate in Occupational Therapy Assistant/Physical Therapy Assistant in 2006. Kim later completed a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with Great Distinction and majored in Adapted Physical Activity in 2011. Kim also completed a Certificate in Gerontology (Study of Aging) from Mount Royal University in 2011. Soon after Kim applied into the College of Medicine, School of Physical Therapy at the University of Saskatchewan where she completed a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy in 2013.

After graduation, Kim knew that she wanted to pursue continuing education in movement-based, alternative and integrative medicine. This is when she began her medical therapeutic yoga training at the Professional Yoga Therapy Institute in Emerald Isle, NC. Kim has continued in this path taking further training in yoga therapy specializing in pain care management, prenatal and postpartum therapeutic yoga, and pelvic floor and core re-training. Kim has also completed additional continuing education in Pelvic Health Physiotherapy which provides her with specialized training and skills to assist clients with bladder and bowel concerns, pelvic pain, prenatal and postnatal rehabilitation, and pelvic organ prolapse. Kim has recently received her certification in Biomedical Dry Needling and is now adding this tool as an adjunct to her physiotherapy treatments with her patients.

Kim strongly advocates for her colleagues to find their passion, to follow their desire, and to take care of themselves first before extending care to others. When reflecting back on her journey through Professional Yoga Therapy training and connecting with practitioners from all around North America, Kim shares that the most valuable lesson she learned was how to prevent practitioner burnout. By listening to her body, mind, and spirit she follows her values and extends kindness and gratitude daily... this is Kim’s daily yoga practice.

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