ZHOU Fengming

Two years of studying for a Master in Physiotherapy (MPT) degree at RS ignited my strong interest in physical therapy. Therefore when I graduated from the MPT programme in 2007, I applied for a PhD at PolyU. Unfortunately, my application was rejected. After that, I worked as a physical therapist in a public hospital and a private rehabilitation hospital, and later set up my own physical therapy studio. I think I have fallen in love with physical therapy, especially with the field of musculoskeletal disorders. During these years, I kept taking various training courses to learn new concepts and new techniques, and to gain more experience.

However, I gradually found that a more rigorous logical thinking framework and a higher vision were needed to summarise and sublimate the theoretical knowledge and practical experience I had acquired. Meanwhile, I always have some new ideas which need to be verified by scientific research. Therefore, I decided to submit a PhD application again, in the hope of improving my musculoskeletal physical therapist practice.

My research is to explore the effects of respiratory function and core stability on low back pain (LBP) in weight lifters. I hope to find new evidence-based methods to prevent and manage LBP in weight lifters. In addition to weight lifters, the findings can be useful to athletes or even the general public who in general use weight lifting as a means of strength training.