Sir, - In the article, "When pain stops play" The Irish Times, May 17th), Ian O'Riordan quotes extensively from an interview with Gerard Hartman, physiotherapist. The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) would like to point out that Mr Hartman is not a member of the society.
The broad views expressed, such as that 60 per cent of "chronic overuse" athletic injuries "are around the knee area" or that women emotionally react to injury "extremely poorly", whereas men are "more realistic", are personal views. As the professional body representing trained and qualified physiotherapists in Ireland, the ISCP would question this individual opinion. The ISCP through its practitioners and through its specialist group of chartered physiotherapists in sports medicine is continually monitoring and carrying out research into the field of sports medicine in order to have evidence to back up their treatment and intervention. The purpose of this is ultimately to offer a constant and consistent quality of service to clients.
As a professional body, therefore, we would like to dissociate ourselves from Mr Hartman's views. - Yours, etc. AIFRIC MORRISSEY, MISCP, Vice-Chairman, ISCP, Anne Ging, MISCP, Pro ISCP,
St Stephen's Green,
Dublin 2.