Physiotherapy is a drug-free health care practice. Physiotherapists work in partnership with individuals of all ages to break down the barriers to physical function whether that means working with patients pre- and post-surgery, helping people come back from illness and chronic disease, injury, industrial and motor vehicle accidents and age related conditions. Physiotherapists also play an important role in health promotion and disease prevention.
Physiotherapy has proven to be effective in the treatment and management of arthritis, diabetes, stroke and traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and a range of respiratory conditions offering those afflicted with tools and techniques to acquire and maintain an optimum level of function and pain free living.
What to Expect on Your First Physiotherapy Visit
Health History
When you go in to see the Physiotherapist, they will sit down with you and go over the details of your chief complaint that you entered on the touch screen monitor. They will also ask you other questions about your health such as previous injuries, past and present health conditions, family health history and lifestyle factors. The health history is very important not only for understanding the nature of your pain, but it also helps the Physiotherapist clarify which structures to evaluate during the physical examination.
Physical Examination and Diagnosis
Next, the Physiotherapist will perform an examination of the painful or injured area to determine precisely what is injured and the extent of the injury.
The physical examination typically involves:
- Evaluating ranges of motion
- Palpating (touching) various muscles, tendons, bones, nerves and ligaments
- A variety of orthopedic tests that help identify how certain areas of your body are moving and the specific nature of your injury
- Neurological testing such as checking reflexes, basic strength tests to identify weak muscles and sensory testing to determine if there is any numbness or loss of sensation on the skin.
Based on the results of the physical examination the Physiotherapist will provide you with a diagnosis or list of possible diagnoses for your condition.
Treatments
If your diagnosis is a condition which physiotherapy can help with, the Physiotherapist will recommend a treatment plan to get you better as quickly as possible and provide you with a treatment on that day with your consent. Treatment often uses a variety of approaches to help reduce pain, relieve muscle tension, improve joint range of motion and restore function to the injured area. The physiotherapist will also make recommendations about things you can do at home or at work to help with your recovery and prevent re-injury.