'Few universities had specialist departments then and most medical professionals were either doctors or nurses,' she said. Even among Chinese familiar with the idea of a 'physical therapist', there were uncertainties about what the role entailed.

Nowadays, physiotherapy is much better understood as the branch of medicine used to treat injury or disease with exercise, heat or other physical therapies.

In Hong Kong, university students study acupuncture as a part of their physiotherapy degree, reflecting the increasing blend of oriental and western traditions in the approach to healing.

Fifty years ago, when the profession was established in Hong Kong, the government and the Department of Health had responsibility for training students to help hospital patients with their rehabilitation needs. In 1979, the academic part of the programme was taken over by what was then Hong Kong Polytechnic.

The standard course for today's students is three years, which Ms Lau regards as slightly easier than what she experienced.

'We also had to work through the summers back then. The training was considerably longer than now,' she said. 'It is also a field in which you have to keep learning - in fact, the more we learn, the more we realise we don't know.'

Ms Lau has seen many changes since she entered the profession, and most of those have been in the past decade. First, the health-care model has changed and been improved. Previously, patients' opinions were seen as inferior to those of health-care providers. The prevailing idea was that the professionals always knew best and patients should just do as they were told.

These days, patients take part more, make decisions and are encouraged to take more responsibility for their health.

The culture surrounding physiotherapy has also changed in recent years, in no small part because of the greater possibility of lawyers getting involved if things go wrong.

'You might say that having so many lawyers around creates a demand for litigation,' Ms Lau said.

Since the public now expects more from health-care providers, there is a real chance of being sued. Physiotherapists must spend more time checking and following procedures to protect themselves. Ms Lau cites the threat of litigation as one reason for higher health-care costs.

Information technology has also had a major impact on physiotherapy, not all of it necessarily positive. 'I read at least 100 e-mails and attachments a day,' she said, adding that the amount of time she spent on the computer instead of with her patients was staggering.

'The change is drastic. There is so much information now that I'm forced to read more, enter more data and keep everything up to date.'

She hopes that the use of computers does not affect things to such an extent that patients suffer.

'You hear patients complain that they've waited three hours to see a doctor. When they get in, they have three minutes, which the doctor spends staring at a computer screen, asking questions and entering information, and not even looking at them,' Ms Lau said. She knows such stories are exaggerated, but realises there is also an element of truth.

Since becoming a manager in the hospital system, she has become more conscious of costs and the need to keep an eye on budgets and spending. She estimates that 90 per cent of her management workload now relates to such responsibilities.

Despites all these developments, Ms Lau still loves the profession. She advises aspiring physiotherapists to be fully committed and to work 'from the heart'. They also need physical skills to help rehabilitate patients and a sharp mind to keep up with the volume of information.

Perhaps the most gratifying part of the job comes from the contact with patients.

'We are lucky because patients are in the recovery stage when we see them. They are so thankful because they are getting better,' she said.

Those working in the field see it as dynamic and still rapidly evolving. To keep pace with new techniques and the introduction of hi-tech equipment, physiotherapists have regular in-service training and attend overseas conferences.

Ms Lau predicts that there will be numerous opportunities in the years ahead to work on the mainland.

'There are so many handicapped people in China. They have a great need for physiotherapists,' she said. 'China now is like Hong Kong was 30 to 40 years ago, but they might need only 10 years to catch up and develop their own programmes.'

Better education on the mainland about preventive measures will also help to reduce the number of industrial accidents, amputees, the side-effects of diabetes and birth-related problems such as cerebral palsy.

In the west and in Hong Kong, physiotherapists have a different challenge ahead. They must continue to educate patients on how to prevent arthritis and chronic heart problems, as well as common illnesses exacerbated by overeating and a sedentary lifestyle.

'Good physiotherapists do not cure people, they educate them to adopt a healthy lifestyle and prevent problems. We must persuade patients to do some things and avoid others,' Ms Lau said.

What it takes

A heartfelt commitment to one's work

An ability to communicate well and convey information to patients

Mental sharpness and ability to learn continuously

A positive attitude and energetic disposition

Respect for patients' choices and the decisions they make

Professional conduct at all times

Postgraduate qualification preferred for senior positions

SALARIES

Senior physiotherapist

$48,000 and up

Five years' experience or more

Physiotherapist I

$31,000 and up

Two years' experience or more

Physiotherapist II

$17,000 and up

Entry-level position